Changing working practices and the post-COVID commute

Project details

Full project title: Changing working practices and the post-COVID commute

Funder: RAC Foundation

Principal Investigator: Dr Ben Clark

CTS researchers:

Start date: September 2025

End date: September 2026

Project summary

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant changes in working practices and working from home in particular in many sectors, but there is limited evidence of the extent to which new working and commuting patterns have become established in the period since the first lockdown (in March 2020). This study is undertaking an in-depth examination of emerging working and commuting practices in the West of England in response to the following research questions: 

  1. How and why have employee working practices changed in different labour market sectors since immediately before the first COVID-19 lockdown? 
  2. How are employers in different labour market sectors shaping new working practices and what are their expectations for the future? 
  3. What has been the impact of changing working practices on employee travel behaviour and car use across the working week?
  4. How and why are changes to work and travel routines of employees’ influencing their longer-term lifestyle preferences, notably residential location, employment location and car ownership choices? 

These questions are being addressed through interviews with (i) employers from different sectors in the West of England, to understand how new ways of working are being shaped and accommodated; and (ii) employees working for the same employers to understand changes to their work and travel routines.