Telework and commuting patterns. An empirical study of workers in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract

Teleworking, increasingly adopted in recent years, is often presented as a sustainable alternative work arrangement, but its long-term effects on travel remain inconclusive. This study examined the relationship between teleworking behaviour and travel patterns among workers in East Flanders, Belgium, using data from an online survey conducted between October 2023 and January 2024. First, factors influencing teleworking frequency were identified using Poisson regression. The results showed that teleworking frequency is associated with attitudes and constraints related to teleworking and commuting, as well as with age and work frequency. Next, the commuting characteristics of non-teleworkers were compared with those of infrequent and frequent teleworkers. Given teleworking’s potential to reduce travel, the effect of teleworking frequency on commute distance, duration, travel mode, and the number of commute trips was analysed using Welch ANOVA and chi-square test. Our findings reveal that while teleworkers make fewer weekly commute trips, their commutes are longer in both distance and duration compared to non-teleworkers. Teleworkers also tend to make less sustainable commute trips, although this effect was not statistically significant. These results suggest a possible rebound effect that could offset the positive effects of teleworking on travel and liveability, such as reducing traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and peak-hour travel.