Five Ways You Can Make It Easier for Your Employees to Get to Work

Please note, this article is intended for our US audience.

Your employees have many challenges when it comes to giving you their all during work hours. Some things, like how much sleep your employees get, is out of your control. Other things, like making sure they’re properly trained, are within your control.

One thing you have more control over than you think is helping your employees get to work.

Commuting can really take its toll, which can affect your employees’ performance over time. Take the pressure off by finding ways to make it easier for your employees to get to work.

Encourage Bicycle Riding

The costs associated with owning and maintaining a vehicle can be expensive. A new car can cost tens of thousands of dollars, while employees can end up paying hundreds of dollars in gas every month. Not to mention, many employees are concerned about climate change, which means they’re looking for ways to cut back on emissions.

Encouraging your employees to ride bikes can help on both accounts. That might mean renting or giving bicycles to employees, but it should also include programs that support their safety.

For example, if you’re giving bikes to your employees, also schedule a meeting to discuss the common causes of bike accidents and what you should do if you’re in an accident. Providing employees with an attorney in the event of an accident is another way you can support their bike-riding habits.

Reimburse Employees for Transportation

Riding a bike isn’t an option for many employees who have to drive a relatively far distance to work every day. However, that doesn’t mean they have to drive a car to and from work. There are many other forms of transportation to choose from!

Taking the bus or the subway is a feasible option for many people in large cities. For some, cabs, Uber, and Lyft are also an option. Make these options more doable for your employees by reimbursing them for transportation they take to and from work.

Reimburse employees for cab fare or buy your employee’s bus passes. It just may encourage them to use public transportation instead of driving their own car.

Support Carpooling

Even if there are many other options available to employees when it comes to getting to work, driving remains the best option for many. That’s especially the case for people in smaller cities and rural areas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help your employees save a little money and cut back on emissions at the same time.

Support carpooling at work. Starting a carpool at work includes doing things like:

• Asking around the office to see who is interested in a carpool
• Making sure the rules, like who pays who and when are clear
• Arranging the schedule so your employees don’t have to

You can encourage more of your employees to carpool to work by allowing them to drive company vehicles to and from work. You could also offer to reimburse employees for gas when they share a ride with coworkers.

Give Them a Dedicated Place to Park

No matter how many options you give employees for getting to work, there will always be people who prefer to drive to work in their own vehicles on their own time. Making it easier for these employees means thinking carefully about the parking lot etiquette outside your building.

Mark parking spots clearly and have designated areas where you store employee vehicles, but having dedicated places to park can also be a huge help. That might mean building your own lot or having enough room for all of your employees to park in a public parking lot, but it may also mean assigning a spot to each employee so they never have to search for a place to park the car ever again.

Allow Employees to Work From Home

One of the best ways to help employees with their commute is to eliminate their commute altogether!

Consider allowing your employees to work from home at least part of the time. It means you and your employees don’t have to think about how they’re going to get to and from work, and working from home comes with benefits that include:

• Reduction of distractions
• Stress reduction
• Decrease in company overhead

Make sure you care for your employees’ comfort when they get to work, but you should also make it easier for them to get to work too. Your employees will thank you for making their commute easier when you follow these tips!

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