A young Aussie worker who travels a staggering four hours to and from work each day has revealed why she is happy to commute instead of working from home. 

Ebony Coatsworth landed her dream job as a social media executive for Melbourne Social Co – a marketing agency in the heart of the city’s CBD – in July last year. 

The 27-year-old makes the two-hour commute from her home in the seaside town of Torquay, about 104km southwest of the city, to her office.

Ms Coatsworth’s commute includes driving and parking her car at the local rail station, catching a train and walking to her office – a roundtrip of four hours without delays. 

While the long travel time would deter many workers, Ms Coatsworth has no regrets and has been making the commute three times a week for the past six months. 

She said the travel was ‘worth it’ as she enjoys the best of both worlds – an incredible job that she loves in the city and her beachside escape at home.  

‘They are a best-in-class agency and I was not going to pass up the opportunity to work there just because I don’t live around the corner,’ Ms Coatsworth told Yahoo.

‘As much as I love working in Melbourne, I love where I live. I love being able to walk to the beach, spend my weekends down the coast and live around the corner from my sisters.’

Ms Coatsworth said she used the time on the train to be productive and work towards her career goals with a focus on her personal brand and content for the two podcasts that she hosts. 

She added it was important for new workers to be in the office at least once or twice a week as ‘entirely remote roles’ were a ‘massive disservice’ to young career women.

‘Seeing how my managers carry themselves, how they show up to work, how they speak to others and how they interact with clients has shaped me and how I show up in my own career,’ Ms Coatsworth said.

‘Proximity is so important and I always want to surround myself with other high performers, you don’t get that in your home office.’ 

However, Ms Coatsworth explained she was fortunate her boss allowed WFH days as she would not be able to manage commuting to the office full-time. 

In a video shared to her TikTok account last week, Ms Coatsworth filmed her daily morning commute. 

The video showed Ms Coatsworth walking to her car at 6.20am and driving to the train station arriving at 6.40am. 

She then arrived in the city at 8.20am before taking a quick tram trip and arriving at her office at 8.30am. 

Melbourne woman Ebony Coatsworth, 27, makes a four hour round-trip commute to her dream job as a social media executive three times a week

Melbourne woman Ebony Coatsworth, 27, makes a four hour round-trip commute to her dream job as a social media executive three times a week

Social media users were shocked at Ms Coatsworth’s long commute, with many claiming the trip was not worth it. 

‘I love my job and I don’t need to spend 4 hours traveling. That is just too draining,’ one person commented.  

‘I commute about four hours, two days a week and I love my job but it’s so exhausting to do the extra labour… I would change the commute if I could,’ a second person wrote.

‘I love my job and it’s 20 mins walk to the office…. Long commutes are just diabolical to me sorry,’  a third chimed. 

In another video, Ms Coatsworth replied to those who claimed the commute was ‘not worth it’. 

‘I’ll tell you what I don’t think is worth it,’ Ms Coatsworth said. 

‘I don’t think it’s worth it to work a job where you are living for the weekend because you don’t like your work and then your weekends are ruined because of the Sunday scaries. 

‘I love my job. I just don’t think you can put a price or a worth on loving your work and being happy every single day to go to work. It’s worth it for me.’

She said her commute was worth it and argued the office had many benefits that young workers, who are at the start of their career, cannot get working from home (stock image)

She said her commute was worth it and argued the office had many benefits that young workers, who are at the start of their career, cannot get working from home (stock image)

The working from home debate was ignited in recent weeks following the Coalition’s plan to force public servants back into the office if elected.

Opposition finance spokesperson Jane Hume said a Liberal-National government would make all full-time Commonwealth employees work in the office five days a week.

‘This is a commonsense policy that will instill a culture that focuses on the dignity of serving the public,’ she told an audience at the Menzies Research Centre in March.  

In a statement shared with Daily Mail Australia, Ms Hume Ms Hume clarified that the Coalition didn’t plan to enforce a blanket ban on WFH.

‘Let me be very clear about Labor and the Union hyperventilating: no one is banning work from home arrangements, that is a Labor lie,’ she said.

‘Labor has made working from home a right rather than a request. Working from home has to work for everyone: the individual, the team and the department.

‘This is a commonsense policy that reflects the arrangements for everyone else outside of the Australian Public Service.’

Major companies including Amazon, Tab Corp, Flight Centre and Dell recently ended their WFH option. 

Many other companies with hybrid working arrangements have also set in-office mandates, including Woolworths Group which announced its 10,000 office support staff are required to work three days a week in the office by October.

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk