2x week commute - how long is too long?

I wouldn't class 20 minutes as a commute. A commute suggests a journey of some distance.

I do 2 hours drive each way 3 times a week. Have been doing it for 12 years and now really hate it. It was my choice though.

I go in 3 times a week and thank god WFH the other 2 days. It's an hour each way. That's definitely enough for me, no way would I be doing it 5 days.

I go in twice a week, in term time it takes around an hour (30 miles) by car. In school hols it’s 45 mins max.

I couldn’t do any further and have a life as I have other commitments (horse and young child).

We choose to live rurally but that’s not my employers problem, it’s mine.

How long is yours?

Mine is just over 2hrs on way in, home longer as waiting longer for train, missing one if staying a bit later etc. Not to mention cancellations and delays of course.
We are all supposed to be in twice a week (one set day, one chosen day) but I have been able to agree once a month with my manager due to the time it takes.

My contract is office-based but I joined during Covid and was clear that it is a no-no for me at interview stage (and I would leave if it was enforced).

previous jobs were much closer to home but still amounted to min 1hr door to door, 20 min walk to station, 20 min train, 20 min walk to office. Could not even use the time productively and on way back would be longer due to train times or trains so full you could not get in. Not to mention cancelled trains at least twice a week, meaning a 20 min walk back into town to catch a bus and paying extra. Hated it.

My company closed its office that I use to walk to (30mins), then opened one in London that is an easy public transport commute but, that was labelled only as a 'show/sales' office. The next office is 2-2.5 hours away.

COVID meant no office but, shortly after there were back to the office calls 2-3 days a week but, not for the original staff who lived where the office closed (Ie people like me). Last year they demanded that everyone had to travel to the main office at least once a week.

For that reason I swapped departments and found a full WFH job but, occasional trips into our London office. 5+ hour's commuting just once a week was too much for me. For the first decade I commuted 1+hour each way and then eventually decided to move to the town where my work was located.. I am still with that same company. I've already relocated once for them, I'm not doing it again ;)

Agreed.
2 hours each way would be about max too.
but ultimately if you pootle off to the outer Hebrides it’s not really the businesses problem.

some people really don’t care… I worked in soho with 2 senior guys who both lived outside Edinburgh.. as in an hour drive. they would fly down Mon night and do Tue-Thu in the office and fly early Friday and work on the flight.

Personally I wouldn't commute more than 20 minutes.

But you took a hybrid job knowing you had a long commute so it's irrelevant really - you either suck it up or get a job closer to home.

I do an hour each way twice a week. I am out the house for 12 hours. I have compressed my hours to compensate. I hated the shorter hours 5 days a week.

The commute isn’t relevant to your employer, though.
I did an hour and 20 mins each way, five days a week, for years. Could be more, or less.
An hour each way daily is completely normal, I’d say.

I do 2.5 hours door to door twice a week every week. Have done since Covid. But that’s by train (the train is 2 hours) plus a short walk/tube and as a result it’s time I cherish. I have three fairly young children and a demanding job therefore this my “me” time. I get a train before 6am, so feel like that is time that is legitimately mine, not my work’s, and therefore I choose to love watching downloaded Netflix series, enjoying a flask of hot coffee, rather than seeing it as a long commute. I find it totally manageable and I like that I get to live somewhere beautiful and work in the City.

Mines around 90 mins each way, usually a bit less in the morning because I leave early. I've done it for 10 years 5 days a week. I don't love it especially in the winter when I never see daylight but just try not to think about it
I start a new job soon which is only a 20 minute commute. I've started to feel excited for the extra hours I'll gain each week and not having to get up at 5am anymore.

I wouldn't do more than an hour or thereabouts. Currently drive 45 minutes each way, 2 days in the office. Can't believe I used to do it 5 days a week, 7.5 hours of dead time!

I do an hour each way twice a week. An hour and a half each way would be okay if needed but that would be my max. My old boss travelled 1hr 45 minutes each way daily for 7 years until covid. I think he was bonkers.

For context, my job is 10 minutes drive and 10 minutes walk but our company was taken over and now I have to drive a hour twice a week.

I think length of commute is an employee issue to think about when applying for/accepting a job.

I don't think any length of commute will count as a good reason not to do the required 2 days a week in the office. I think if the employer allowed length of commute as a discretionary factor then it opens them up to all sorts of other arguments from other employees about why they also shouldn't have to do two days a week in the office.

I suspect your employer would tell you that if you aren't happy with the length of commute you are free to move house. Or apply for a job closer to home.

But to answer your specific question, I knew someone who commuted Dublin to Brussels. Usually daily. I also know plenty of people who do Manchester/Leeds to London a couple of times a week.

Hybrid was always going to require weekly travel longer term. Agree 90minutes is very normal.

I wouldn’t do more than an hour.

Mine is about 1hr45 each way I wouldn't want much more than that.

Impossible to say without context.

I drove for around 80 minutes each way five days a week to get me into the industry I wanted to work in for around a year and didn't love it.

Used to take the inter city train to London twice a week - total journey time about two hours each way. Didn't mind it.

DH had a 2 hour commute each way, 5 days a week for decades. He’s WFH a lot more now, but it was just the norm for him and many colleagues.

How long is your commute, @BerryBlu ? How many times a day do you think you should be going into the office?

I have an hour's commute each way and that is for 4 days a week. It's not the best as I leave at 8 am and don't get back till 6 but I need the money so you just get on with it.. I have 3 youngish children as well which adds to the pressure of life, if I had no children I don't think the commute would bother me as much.

I do 90 mins each way twice a week. Some weeks do a 3 hour each way commute for one day. Both manageable.

Also I agree with pp that your length of commute isn't really your employers problem unless they have moved office locations.

The number of days in the office is presumably driven by a business need.

I think quality of commute is important. Eg a train where I get a seat so can read or do some work emails etc is vastly different to multiple trains with potential for missed connections or a stressful car drive with bad traffic. I'd pick a longer easy journey every time.