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Whether you walk, drive, or ride the bus, the winter commute takes more planning and preparation. With a few hints and tips, getting to work can be a whole lot more manageable for both employers and employees.\n\nCommuting Tips for Employees\nRegardless of what winter weather comes your way, a few strategies can help you arrive on time safely, whether you drive, walk, or ride the bus.\n\nDriving\nAccording to the 2018 census, the average driving commute to work is 27 minutes. Studies also show that more auto accidents occur in winter when driving conditions can be dicey, especially between 8:00 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. What can you do to preserve your car and your safety when the weather seems hazardous?\n\nLeave early. Depending on your commute, even 5 minutes can make a big difference in traffic. If you\u2019re able to leave early, you\u2019ll be less stressed about being late and the roads will be less busy.\nAllow extra time to shovel and scrape. You never know when you\u2019ll be plowed in, or how long it might take to make sure your car is cleared and defrosted for a safe drive.\nShare the commute. You or your co-worker may be the better winter driver or may have a car that\u2019s better equipped for the weather.\nSlow down. Reaction times are different in cold and snowy conditions, so it can take up to 10 times longer to stop during a storm. Pay attention to the road ahead and start braking well in advance of an intersection.\nCheck online road reports immediately before leaving. This way you can avoid any major traffic backups. You can tune in to your favorite local TV or radio station, news website, or your state\u2019s driving conditions map. Particularly in snowy states, websites, this type of information is essential. See the Michigan Department of Transportation\u2019s driving conditions map for an example.\nBe ready for an alternate route. Once you head out, you can use a GPS that has real-time traffic conditions from users in case of traffic jams. Even though you know how to get to work, plug in your work address to ask for directions anyway. It might guide you to a different route to avoid an accident.\nWalking\nIf you\u2019re close enough that you can walk to work, you\u2019ll probably leave a little earlier to brave the snowy sidewalks. What else can you do to make the route more manageable in winter weather?\n\nDress warm. Throw on an extra layer, plus a hat and warm gloves, to keep the chill from setting in.\nUse boots with cleats for safety in icy conditions. Once you know how well the paths in your area are generally maintained, you can choose boots with Vibram soles or add slip-on traction devices like YakTrax any time conditions get slick. Some cleats are designed for ice or snow, and you can add them to your regular boots for safety when the weather goes south.\nRiding the bus\nBus commuters have to be prepared for walking, standing around outdoors waiting for the bus, and dealing with changes to the bus schedule.\n\nBe ready to walk. All the walking tips mentioned above would apply.\nBe ready to stand. In case the bus is late, slip a hand warmer into your pocket that can be activated if you have to stand and wait in the cold winter weather.\nHave a backup plan in case the bus is late. Before you even head to the bus stop, you can check the bus system\u2019s application for messages about delays, and you can search for a nearby stop where the bus might get you to your destination sooner. Moovit is one useful app that can give you up-to-date information about the fastest route to your destination.\nOther winter issues\nOf course, snow and ice can affect more than just your commute, so it pays to be prepared for winter in other ways too. If you have a family, there\u2019s a good chance you might have to be responsible for their needs as well.\n\nDaycare can be an issue when schools are closed at the last minute, so try to line up alternatives ahead of time. Perhaps a high school student in your neighborhood could watch the kids on a day when school is called off.\n\nAlso, if the kids\u2019 bus is not on time, or if they are unable to walk through the snow, transporting them to school can affect your morning routine. Try to have a plan for who you can call to help give kids a ride if needed so everyone can get where they need to be.\n\nEmployer Actions to Help Their Workers\nEmployers can also prepare for those days when the storm blows in and employees face challenges. Some solutions that can help both employers and employees navigate particularly bad weather include:\n\nAllow employees to work from home on extremely bad weather days, if at all possible.\nBe flexible about start times, or send employees home early, so workers can commute during safer time periods.\nAfter employees arrive at work, offer a paid 10-minute pause break with free hot beverages and suggestions on how to de-stress. You might find yourself using this service too once you get there! How does this help?\nWorkers are not as productive upon arrival to work after a white-knuckle drive.\nThey also may make more mistakes or even cause an injury when severely stressed.\nWorkers may be stressed thinking about their loved ones commuting and whether they made it OK.\nLine up a list of emergency daycare options for employee use. Depending on the importance of the employee being there, offer to reimburse them for all or part of the emergency daycare service.\nOn exceptionally poor-weather days, arrange to have critical employees picked up by someone with a more weather-reliable vehicle. That\u2019s exactly what happened during a snowstorm that dropped almost 2 feet of snow on West Michigan. Harrison Electric\u2019s key employees were needed to repair switchgear that had failed and resulted in thousands of area customers without power. The company owner took his 4-wheel drive vehicle and drove to key employees\u2019 homes to pick them up. Now that\u2019s resourceful!\nWhether you are commuting or dealing with a whole team of commuters, winter can be a lot more bearable if you have a plan in place for how to manage the snow and ice to reach your destination.","description":"Top tips on how to make a job commute in the winter less stressful, whether you walk, take the bus, or drive to work,.","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/career-blog\/winter-job-commute\/"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/beverly-mapes\/#Person"},"about":{"@type":"Thing","url":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q48442","name":"wiki-commuting","sameAs":["kg:\/m\/01lvp1","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commuting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q48442"},"subjectOf":{"@type":"Blog","url":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/hr-blog\/","name":"The Job Blog - Career Blog","description":"blog for human resource managers and employers","inLanguage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/#Language"},"about":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q656365","@id":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/career-blog\/"},"@id":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/career-blog\/winter-job-commute\/"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Career Blog","item":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/career-blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Winter and the Job Commute","item":"https:\/\/jobbloghq.com\/career-blog\/winter-job-commute\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]