Hassles of Urban Work

If you live or work within a densely populated mega city, that is particularly bereft of high-speed fly-over or underground rail infrastructure suitable for efficient intra-city and inter-city transportation, you can relate to regular rush hour gridlock or slowdown. 

Given high costs of housing in city centres and reserved areas, low-income and middle-income earners working in cities are usually pushed (by high rental costs) to affordable accommodation, available only on the edge of cities, in suburbs or in nearby towns. 

It is needless to emphasise that high income earners retain patronage of pricey city housing units. Whenever public-aided low-cost housing units are in limited supply within urban areas, many in the 'bottom billion' get excluded.

Consequently, wage earners, who live in suburbs but work in city centres, may have to combat long hours of daily commute in their attempt to stay productive and dutiful. If such workers can pull funds for housing accommodation, they may be able to secure fairly-priced living spaces within the city where they work.

Otherwise, a typical low-income member of an urban labour force may rise long before dawn to plan daily trips into the traffic-laden city centre. This has serious implications for long term employee health, employee stress, as well as productivity at work. 

Firms that place premium value on quality of life, labour productivity, total well being and show an understanding of the dynamics of urban life may build work systems that yield win-win outcomes to the organisation and her human resources.

For instance, with the provision of on-site accommodation facilities, firms may contribute to work stress relief and reduce the mental health risks and occupational hazards associated with long daily commutes to and from the work site.

While the phenomenon of high living costs applies to both developed and developed countries, labour market participants in low to middle income developing countries tend to be more disadvantaged; mostly due to what I call the 'poverty of connective infrastructure'.

In order to be inclusive, firms can contribute to housing development or adopt nearby inns that employees can 'crowd-rent' during work weeks. 

In any case, the current pandemic has helped to accelerate the practice of remote work in developing economies. 

We can become proactive at rebuilding work environments for an inclusive future.

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Photo credit: Taxaide