Travel and satisfaction changes in response to working from home (WFH) in Perth, Western Australia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59490/ejtir.2026.26.3.7850Keywords:
working-from-home (WFH), travel implications, satisfaction, covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM)Abstract
The working-from-home (WFH) experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives in unprecedented ways and the practice is likely to stay, with substantial changes to activity-travel behaviour. Drawing on three waves of employee surveys (2021-2022), this paper reports on associations between individual circumstances, work and travel behaviour, as well as their impacts on satisfaction during the pandemic, in Perth, Western Australia (WA). Before the pandemic, the average WFH rate in Perth was only 3.4% of all employees, with significant variation across job types. However, during 2020-2022, this rate increased substantially, with employees showing a manifest interest in continuing and expanding the practice. This shift in working patterns has resulted in changes in commuting and time use, as well as in the overall satisfaction of the employees and their well-being. The associations are tested using a covariance-based structural equation model (CB-SEM), showing positive impacts of WFH and reduced commute in satisfaction with travel, which in turn positively contributes to life satisfaction, after controlling for other life domains and socio-economic factors.
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