More workers commuting longer distances since pandemic
'Super commuters' travel thousands of kilometres just to get to work, often drawn by big financial incentives.
Transcript
00:00It's a dream job for this Australian cargo pilot.
00:07Peter Pelican travels 15,000 kilometres to clock on in Anchorage, Alaska every 16 days.
00:15There is no typical work day. We basically fly all around the world.
00:19One day I can be in Kazakhstan, next day I can be in Korea.
00:25He flies a 747, delivering 100 tonne of cargo around the world.
00:31We can move anything from lithium batteries to live pigs or horses.
00:38A job that's hard to top.
00:41Different jurisdictions to deal with, different weather patterns.
00:44There is never a dull moment and I absolutely enjoy the challenge.
00:49Perth carpenter Connor Gordon has also taken on a mega commute of sorts.
00:54He works at Casey Station in Antarctica, almost 4,000 kilometres from home.
01:01I look at it like FIFO but with longer swings.
01:06So I can come away for a year, then I can have a year off.
01:10I can go travelling, really enjoy my life and then I come back to work for another year.
01:15Antarctic wind chills are daily challenges.
01:18But there are upsides too.
01:21Adelie Penguins at your workplace.
01:24They've just got no fear.
01:25And so if they see a big person walking around they kind of come up to inspect
01:29and check out whether we're another penguin or not and what we're doing.
01:33Researchers estimate there are up to 400,000 mega commuters in Australia
01:38who travel more than 250 kilometres to get to work.
01:42To get better pay, to seek the benefits of more interesting jobs for example.
01:47But what we found in our study is that there are a whole lot of quite negative impacts
01:53that come from these super commutes too, especially when one partner,
01:57one household member is working away for weeks or even months at a time.
02:03We're living and working with the same people.
02:07So if there are any relationships that turn sour, it can affect the whole community.
02:18And those aren't the only relationships to consider.
02:21The biggest challenge is to be away from my kids and family.
02:24A career choice carrying its own cost.