Employee’s new job earns her $3.5k a month, up from $3k, but she has to commute for 1.5 hours per day and asks, “Is it worth it?”

SINGAPORE: After getting a new job with a higher pay than her previous one, an employee took to a forum on Tuesday (Feb 25) in an effort to figure out if a 1.5-hour daily commute still makes the pay bump worth it.

“Just joined a new company that pays me $3.5k, with an increase to $3.8k after three months,” the new employee shared. “My last job paid $3k. The main downside is that the commute to my site is about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes each way. On the plus side, the company’s benefits are solid. For the past few years, they’ve given a minimum of two months in variable bonuses plus AWS (annual wage supplement).”

The writer then turned to Singaporeans for any insights they could share. “For those who’ve had similar commutes, is it worth it in the long run?” she asked. “I would love to hear your experiences.”

In a show of support, many online users gave their two cents, with a handful helping the writer put things into perspective. Many saw the $800 increase was worth giving it a shot. “I would say it’s worth it,” said one. “An $800 increment, with CPF (central provident fund), it’s more than that. Also, having a higher salary means your next hop will get you more. Tank for at least one year, then hop again. Your justification for the job hop will be simple: You tried 1.5 hours per way for 1 year, and your body couldn’t take it anymore.”

Others, however, pointed out that while the pay bump was significant, her daily travel time was an important factor to consider as well. “That commute is quite painful and unsustainable,” said one. “You’ll burn out in one year. That being said, the pay bump and benefits seem worthwhile, but you’ll get a huge hit to your quality of life. If you aren’t used to such a long commute, you’ll really feel the pinch. A UK study shows that every extra 20 minutes of commute is equivalent to a 19% pay cut of a job in terms of job satisfaction.”

“What was your previous commute?” asked another. “Calculate your $/hour. If the additional time spent commuting is not sufficiently compensated by the pay bump, then you have your answer.”

According to data from Understanding Society, the results of a survey administered to over 26,000 employees in the UK showed that increasing daily commuting time by 20 minutes can reduce job satisfaction to the same extent as a 19% salary decrease.

See also: Private tutor makes S$23K/month; office manager earns S$7K/month—Singaporeans list ‘surprisingly high-paying’ jobs in SG