COMMUTING TO WORK VERSUS E-COMMUTING: DATA FROM AN AUSTRIAN COMPANY IN PRE-COVID-19 ERA, DURING 1ST LOCKDOWN, AFTER EASING AND DURING 2ND LOCKDOWN

Abstract

As a result of restrictions introduced to slow the spread of Covid-19, the number of commuters has significantly decreased and e-commuters increased. This analysis is based on Austrians who had a job prior to the pandemic and who were still working during the survey (whether they worked from home or commuted). Using data from the survey, this article examines changes in the mode of workplace of those who switched to e-commuting. Additionally, the authors were interested in finding out to what extent the e-commuting agreement reduces commuting. The following were done: a systematic review of e-commuting literature, a cross-tabulation of data to examine relationships within data, a McNemar test for workplace examination and a Friedman test with pairwise comparisons for commuting analysis. The data show that the number of e-commuters increased in almost all the surveyed periods except between the pre-Covid time and the easing of the lockdown. The e-working proportion increased on average by 59.74%. Results suggest that the frequency of commutes by cubicles differs significantly in all periods except between the first and second lockdowns, and by e-workers between February and the first lockdown and the easing and the second lockdown. If we look at the average rankings, we see that during the second lockdown, the frequency of cubicle commutes decreased significantly and that of e-workers increased.