Asking Questions about Money and Working Hours During A Job Interview

No, don't ask these questions at the interview. These are questions for after an offer has been extended and before it has been accepted, and then you can negotiate.

I think those questions are appropriate to ask after you've gotten an offer; OR, for the 2nd/3rd interview, not the first. If they want you, then they will have an incentive to work with you. Otherwise, your questions could be misinterpreted and paint you as not having the right intentions.

As all say above, wait until the offer. And then, don't use your commute as the reason you're asking for more money. They don't care where you live or how long it takes you to get there. Ask for more money because you're worth more money. Asking for a flexible schedule based on family concerns is a different kettle of fish and likely more acceptable. If they grumble about it, offer to make it explicitly temporary (say, ninety days, in writing, with your direct supervisor getting the final call at the end of that time whether to continue it), to see whether it works for you and them.

Counterpoint! I do think you can ask a general question in the areas of "office culture" and "work/life balance". It's a highly relevant interview question that will almost certainly get you some insight into whether they offer flex time or are generally ... flexible.

Rock Steady has it. Safe it for a conversation after you have an offer. Good luck to you!

The interviewer does not really care about the wear and tear on your car... in fact they might ask if it is too far for you to commute. You may need to restrain yourself from expressing your real opinion unless you sense they are already warm toward you. You can sort of approach the second question by asking the interviewer (if they are in a similar position to the one you want) what their normal working day looks like. I have been asked this quite often and I know that it is the candidate trying to find out if they are going into an eternal "crunch mode" company, but it is a valid question that shows interest.

Nthing to wait until at least the 2nd interview/when you have an offer. If you bring up the costs involved in the commute, you are also revealing that you have such a long commute, which may make you a less ideal candidate than a local in some employer's eyes.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but wait until you have a job offer! And unless the interviewer brings it up at a 2nd interview, I wouldn't bring it up then, either.

Nthing everyone else - these are things to negotiate after you've been offered the job. In my experience hiring for various positions, I'll be in charge of conducting the interviews but frequently have little to no say about the salary and wouldn't even be able to carry on the conversation if someone brought it up with me. When it comes time to negotiate, figure out which is more important to you (the higher salary or the flexible hours) and ask for both, but be prepared to give up one. Keep in mind that they'll sympathize with your long commute, but they probably won't consider that justification for giving you higher pay unless you're really, really, really highly qualified for a position that is hard to fill. When you get to the point of needing to negotiate for higher salary or different hours, focus on why you're highly qualified for the position, not why your life situation requires special accommodations. They'll be much more likely to negotiate that way.