The role of work–life balance and autonomy in the relationship between commuting, employee commitment and well-being

Commuting can be tiring and stressful. An unavoidable part of life for many people, it is almost always associated with negative outcomes. This study examined the implications of commuting time for the commitment and well-being of employees. This paper uses ‘conservation of resources’ theory and job demands–resources approaches to argue that employees with long commutes will be less committed and experience lower well-being. These effects are also expected to be mediated by the work–life balance of the employees and interact with the level of autonomy they perceive themselves to have. Data from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey indicate that there is a negative relationship between commuting time, commitment and well-being. Results also suggest that work–life balance mediates part of these relationships and, finally, that autonomy can act as a buffer against the effects of commuting time on both commitment and well-being.