Post-commute self-assessed work performance

Commuting can have immediate and long-term impacts on employees’ behaviour and motivations at work. This study focuses on the self-assessed impact of commute mode on multiple aspects of work performance, namely energy and productivity at work, and punctuality in getting to work. Using large-scale national data (N = 6,671) from the Canadian Mobility Survey conducted in Fall 2024 across 12 metropolitan regions, we conduct weighted logistic regression models that investigate each self-assessed work performance aspect. We use three data subsets based on region population size (large, mid-size, and small). Our models account for main travel mode, commute duration, motivations for mode choice, and sociodemographic factors. For all three subsets, we find that active commuters (pedestrians and cyclists) are the most likely to express positive impacts of commuting on energy and productivity at work, followed by car users. Meanwhile, bus, streetcar, LRT, and BRT users are the least likely to express such results. Car users have a higher likelihood of expressing punctuality to work compared to pedestrians and transit users in all three subsets. Longer commute durations are associated with negative impacts on all three work performance measures, especially punctuality. Takeaway for practice Our study underscores that commuting is not a neutral transition between home and work but an influential factor in work performance. Investment in infrastructure that supports active transport and high-quality transit that is fast and comfortable can promote positive performance at work.