It’s getting late today, please do the laundry: The influence of long-distance commuting on the division of domestic labor

Abstract

The study examines the effect of long-distance commuting on the division of domestic labor in heterosexual couples. A long journey to work can affect other areas of life. Commuters often have lower life satisfaction and their intimate relationships may be impaired by mental stress. When looking at domestic labor the question arises of who is in charge of managing the household and childcare. Do women still adopt the “lion’s share of housework” or take over the “second shift” if they spend part of the day on long commutes to work and back home? A long commute is defined as a journey to work of at least 45 minutes, daily or several times a week. We present the results of pooled regression analysis and fixed effects regressions conducted on data from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) for the years 2013, 2015, and 2016. The pooled analysis suggests a moderate association between a woman’s long commute and her partner’s engagement in housework and childcare, especially when she commutes daily. Instead of living ‘reversed roles’, the partners share such tasks. However, when the association between a woman’s long commute and her partner’s engagement in childcare is estimated exclusively with fixed regression, it remains significant. If the man is a long-distance commuter, most often his partner is solely responsible for all household tasks. Relative labor market position and income distribution within the couples, as well as adherence to gender roles explain the effects of long-distance commuting on labor division.

Impacts of Commuting Practices on Social Sustainability and Sustainable Mobility

“…The "Being at the Limit" type includes men who have children but are not particularly involved in childcare. Here, the man's commute could have an impact on the woman's role and responsibility in the household [39].…”

“…It was shown that women still bear significantly more responsibility for domestic chores and childcare, which is why they tend to have less time available for work and commuting [37,38]. Consequently, female commuters, especially mothers, tend to commute shorter distances than men but still suffer more from the negative effects on quality of life, well-being and health due to the juggling of family life, work and commuting [36,39,40]. Furthermore, long commutes can have a negative impact on partnerships and parent-child relationships and also influence a person's decision as to when to start a family [41,42].…”

Gender Role Attitudes Cannot Explain How British Couples Responded to Increased Housework Demands during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…For men working from home, previously invisible housework may have become more noticeable, and they may have become more involved in these tasks if their work areas are shared with other family members and used for other purposes (e.g., as the dining table). Hence, for men in particular, this situation creates new opportunities and demands to increase their contribution to managing the household (e.g., Stenpaß and Kley 2020).…”

Gender role attitudes cannot explain how British couples responded to increased housework demands during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…For men working from home, previously invisible childcare and housework may have become more noticeable, and they may 5 have become more involved in these tasks if their work area is shared with other family members and used for other purposes, e.g., as the dining table, or is located next to the children's play space. Hence, for men in particular, this situation creates new opportunities and demands to increase their contribution to managing the household (e.g., Stenpaß & Kley 2020).…”