Extending the workplace tether: impact of work flexibility on commute duration acceptance

• Factorial Survey Experiment isolated effects from 1700 Vignette responses. • Quantified commute duration tolerance which decreases with required office days. • Reputation and salary boost commute acceptance, but not for WFH-prioritizers. • Paid travel time significantly increases willingness to accept long commutes. • Hybrid models shift commute time budgeting from daily to weekly patterns. Understanding what drives employees’ willingness to accept longer commutes is key to designing effective hybrid working policies. This study explores how commute frequency, salary, employer reputation, and travel mode influence tolerance for commute duration, based on a factorial survey experiment involving 302 participants and over 1,700 vignette evaluations conducted across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The results indicate that less frequent office attendance, higher salaries, a strong organizational reputation, and more convenient travel modes (e.g., train vs. bicycle) significantly increase commute tolerance. These effects, however, vary depending on individuals’ preferences for working from home or anywhere (WFH/A). Participants with strong WFH/A preferences were notably more sensitive to frequent commuting requirements and less responsive to modest salary increases. The findings challenge traditional assumptions, such as Marchetti’s constant, by demonstrating that individuals adjust their tolerance based on hybrid working patterns and mode-specific expectations. For example, commute acceptance was substantially higher when the mode was air travel, reflecting associations with long-distance or infrequent travel. These framing effects suggest that commuting decisions are shaped as much by context and mental reference points as by time alone. The study offers practical insights for HR professionals, urban planners, and policymakers. Adjusting attendance expectations or reframing commuting time (e.g., treating it as paid work) may help expand recruitment reach, enhance retention, and align job design with the preferences of a more mobile workforce.