Women quit their jobs over a long commute more often than men since they value time more than money, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS). An analysis report by the Office for National Statistics revealed that men and women make different choices at workplace.
Women opt for shorter commutes while men are likely to travel even for more than an hour in return for a higher pay, said ONS. This contributes to men getting higher wages than women which results in gender pay gap.
Like the gender pay gap, the ‘gender commuting gap’ also opens up as people reaches their mid to late 20s. Women aged from 30 to 59 years are more likely to quit job due to commuting issues, than women aged under 30, providing link with having children or a family to look after. Women prefer short commutes for 15-20 minutes, while men can willingly to do longer journeys up to an hour, as the study indicated.
The ONS said: "Our results indicate that the decision to leave one’s job is more strongly influenced by commuting time for women than for men. Commuting has a detrimental impact on the psychological health of women but not of men.” It is found that women work for less hours and prefer jobs with flexible work schedules in order to take care of their child and family.
A 2015 report by the ONS highlighted that men spend on average 2 hours a week in doing childcare whereas women spend 4.7 hours in doing the same. They devote 26 hours a week in housework unlike men who devote only 16 hours.
Amber Rudd, Minister of Women and Equalities of United Kingdom, said, “Women across the country struggle to find a balance between being a parent and their job. These statistics show how women are likely sacrificing a larger pay package, and career growth, because they are doing the bulk of childcare and unpaid work, like taking care of home. I'm determined that women should be supported by the Government and their employer to find that balance. We want to financially empower everyone across the country so they can reach their full potential."
