Job Research Institute Conducts '2026 Summer Work Style Survey': 90% Say Heat Affects Productivity, Willingness to Commute Drops Above 35°C

The Job Research Institute, operated by Pasona Career Inc., which provides the job change service 'doda', conducted the '2026 Summer Work Style Survey' targeting 446 working men and women. This survey investigated summer commuting plans and ideal work styles, the impact of summer heat on work, willingness to commute on extremely hot days, the burden of summer commuting, and the ideal versus actual state of workplace heatstroke prevention measures.

[Extreme Heat Days and Commuting]
In April 2026, the term 'Extreme Heat Day' was officially designated for days with a maximum temperature of 40°C or higher. Surveys conducted by the Job Research Institute in the summers of 2023 and 2025 revealed a gap between the ideal (telework) and reality (commuting), and that heat affects work motivation. As companies increasingly call employees back to the office, summer commuting and office environments are impacting individual work motivation and performance. Companies are expected to implement measures to reduce commuting burdens and address heatstroke risks. A survey conducted in April of this year also found that 70% of people feel stressed by their commute. Given this situation, what is the actual summer work style of Japanese workers this year?

[Survey Overview]
Survey Subjects: Currently employed registrants of JobQ Town
Survey Conditions: Nationwide / Male and Female / Ages 20-59
Survey Period: May 20, 2026 – May 25, 2026
Valid Responses: 446
Survey Method: Internet survey

[TOPICS]
- 76.0% of all respondents say they will 'commute more' this summer; 61.7% say their ideal summer work style is 'telework'
- 90.1% say 'summer heat affects work'; the top impact is 'inability to maintain concentration'; 58.1% have experienced 'physical discomfort'
- The highest temperature at which people do not want to commute is 'Extremely Hot Day: 35°C or higher' (most common); the most burdensome scene is 'moving from home to the station'
- 61.4% say their workplace has 'measures' against heat/heatstroke; top measures are 'adjusting air conditioning temperature' and 'promoting cool biz'
- 70.9% feel workplace heatstroke measures are 'insufficient'; the most desired measure is 'promotion of telework'

[Summer Commuting Plans and Ideal Work Style]
When asked about their summer commuting plans, 76.0% of the 446 respondents said they would 'commute more', with 44.8% saying 'definitely commute more', 18.4% 'commute more', and 12.8% 'somewhat commute more'. Regarding their ideal summer work style, 61.7% preferred 'telework', with 32.1% saying 'definitely prefer telework', 15.0% 'prefer telework', and 14.6% 'somewhat prefer telework'.

[Impact of Summer Heat on Work]
When asked if summer heat affects their work, 90.1% of the 446 respondents said 'yes', with 37.9% saying 'greatly affects', 28.0% 'affects', and 24.2% 'somewhat affects'. Among the 402 who said it affects their work, the most common specific impact was 'inability to maintain concentration' (61.9%), followed by 'fatigue from commuting burden' (55.7%) and 'decreased work speed' (38.6%).

[Commuting on Extreme Heat Days]
When asked the maximum temperature at which they do not want to commute, the most common answer was 'Extremely Hot Day: 35°C or higher' (38.1%), followed by 'Hot Day: 30°C or higher' (32.5%) and 'No need to change based on temperature' (14.8%). Regarding willingness to commute on Extreme Heat Days, 73.3% were in the 'do not want to commute' group, with 32.7% saying 'prefer not to commute if possible', 28.9% 'want to telework in principle', and 11.7% 'think leave or special measures are necessary'.

[Experience of Physical Discomfort from Summer Commuting]
When asked if they have ever experienced physical discomfort from summer commuting, 58.1% of the 446 respondents said 'yes', with 20.2% saying 'experienced many times' and 37.9% 'experienced'. Among the 259 who had experienced discomfort, the most common symptoms were 'excessive sweating' (59.8%), followed by 'strong fatigue' (57.1%) and 'dizziness or lightheadedness' (52.1%).

[Burden of Summer Commuting]
When asked about the most burdensome aspect of summer commuting, the top answer was 'moving from home to the station' (56.1%), followed by 'dealing with sweat and odor during commute' (49.8%) and 'crowded trains/buses' (48.9%). When asked what applies to their summer commute, the top answer was 'commuting alone exhausts my energy' (55.6%), followed by 'worried about sweat and odor' (53.8%) and 'commuting gets harder every year' (43.5%).

[Workplace Heat/Heatstroke Measures]
When asked if their workplace has heat/heatstroke measures, 61.4% of the 446 respondents said 'yes', while 38.6% said 'no'. Among the 274 who said their workplace has measures, the most common were 'adjusting air conditioning temperature' (59.9%), followed by 'promoting cool biz or light clothing' (40.1%) and 'providing drinks and salt supplements' (32.1%).

[Heat Measures Demanded from Companies]
When asked about the state of workplace heatstroke measures, 70.9% of the 446 respondents felt they were 'insufficient', with 29.6% saying 'some measures are in place but insufficient', 23.1% 'only minimal measures', and 18.2% 'almost no measures'. When asked what heat measures they demand from companies for Extreme Heat Days, the top answer was 'promotion of telework' (58.7%), followed by 'leaving the decision to commute to the individual' (36.3%) and 'providing drinks and cooling goods' (32.7%).

[Free Comments from Respondents]
Comments were collected indicating that summer heat is affecting work.
- I want to go to work early, but the air conditioning doesn't start until 9 AM, so it's still hot and tough even after arriving.
- After arriving at the office or a client's place, I can't stop sweating for about 15 minutes. On hot days, there's a time loss until the sweat subsides.
- Commuting is the most painful thing. The train is unbearable combined with other people's body heat. Thinking about the commute lowers my motivation.
- Just coming to the office increases things to worry about besides work, like makeup smudging, sweat, and body odor, making it hard to concentrate.
- The increasing heat year after year is causing health problems. I feel anxious about commuting on extreme heat days.

[Survey Summary]
The '2026 Summer Work Style Survey' conducted by the Job Research Institute revealed that many individuals have significant dissatisfaction and challenges regarding their summer work styles. In particular, the number of people who feel they 'would rather not commute' increases on 'Extremely Hot Days' (35°C or higher) and 'Extreme Heat Days' (40°C or higher), showing that high temperatures are directly linked to willingness to commute. The background to this seems to be that the 'burden of commuting' has a greater impact than the work content itself.