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JLeslie's avatar

Will high gas prices help workers who want to work from home?

Asked by JLeslie (65789points) March 5th, 2022 from iPhone

Covid allowed a lot of office employees to work from home. Some companies allowed employees to work from home indefinitely, but other companies have gone back to requiring employees to come into the office five days a week, and some employers are on a hybrid plan.

Now, gas prices are going up, and so commuting to work is getting more expensive. Gas prices have been this high before, but we don’t know how high it will go, and previously we hadn’t proven many jobs can be done just fine from home.

Not to mention commuting causes pollution, dependency on oil, and more real estate to be developed.

Studies show that four day work weeks are just as productive and employees are happier, so even people who work service jobs directly with customers have an opportunity to commute only four days. Nurses have been doing three and four day work weeks for decades.

What are your thoughts?

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6 Answers

Chestnut's avatar

No. High gas prices helps no workers, home or otherwise.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

NOPE ! If COVID-19 protocols say you can go to work in person . . . your boss asks, “Where are you ?” your answer of, “Gas cost too much” not going to work.

JLoon's avatar

Not likely.

Most businesses in my area want employees back onsite & in touch with customers ASAP. BUT, the pandemic hollowed out the worforce everywhere, and lots of employers are offering bonuses & wage increases to fill vacancies.

New hires could actually end up making enough to cover their commute. A real living wage! Who woulda thunk it?

Jeruba's avatar

I don’t see how high gas prices will help anybody who needs to buy gas. I expect public transportation costs to rise too, especially for gas-powered buses.

But right now I think it’s something we have to put up with, with as good a grace as possible, because it’s part of what has to happen to slow Russia down in its assault on Ukraine. Let’s think of it as a donation to aid a beleaguered nation that shares our ideals of democracy and is fighting for its very existence

kritiper's avatar

Not much.
America’s needs move by truck so, sooner or later, everyone will be affected by the high price of Diesel fuel.

RocketGuy's avatar

It motivates people to work from home, but I don’t think it helps. That’s because costs will go up all over the place.

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