The effect of commuting on intention to leave: Mediating role of work-life balance

In the first years of the industrial revolution, working hours which lasted 14-18 hours per day were shortened in time with the international and national labor legislation and the time allocated to the employee himself and his family was increased. In this way, it is aimed to create a healthy and safe working environment by ensuring the work-life balance of the employee, increasing productivity. Technological advances have also facilitated the shortening of work times. Within the framework of the new urbanization approach, the establishment of workplaces outside the residential areas and away from the center, in organized industrial zones increased the time spent by employees for going to and returning to work, and the geçen time on the road has started to disrupt the work-life balance. Indeed, transportation of employees to work from home while on location, in Turkey, it takes on average to 45 minutes in one direction. Although this period varies between cities, it is seen that transportation time from home to work increases in metropolitan cities (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, etc.). The time spent by the employee to prepare for work (waking up, preparing, breakfast and reaching the station) and the time he/she waits at work (cleaning, gathering and waiting for the departure of the service vehicle), the time spent by the employees on their way to and from the workplace, disrupts the work-life balance, elections, workplace choices and intention to quit. This study investigates the mediating role of work-life balance in the effect of time on the way to and from work, on employees' intention to quit. The findings show that work-life balance plays a mediating role in the effect of time on the way to and from work and return on the employee's intention to quit. However, this effect occurs at different levels depending on the age, gender, marital status, having a child and the status of the workplace. 314 employees participated in the study. 61% of the participants were male employees and 39% were female employees. While 70% of the participants have undergraduate and graduate education, 80% of them are administrative and administrative personnel. 55% of the participants have children. Participants generally have a nuclear family (mother, father, and child/children) in which both spouses work. In the research, it was seen that the intention to leave showed a difference in terms of gender and especially female employees had more intention to quit than male workers.