Providing transport for employees – when it works?

Why would a business supply their employees with transport for their commute?

That is a question that many of you are probably asking. Some of you, may even realise the advantages, but consider employee transport a benefit for high level executives only. 

However, you should know that more and more businesses are coming to the realisation that providing transport for employees of all levels can benefit morale, overall efficiency, and the company’s bottom line. 

Of course, for this to be the case, it has to be done right. That is why over the following article, we will examine the question of ‘when is providing transport for employees is a good idea?’. 

Firstly, let us point out a few of the reasons companies are considering this option…   

Employee Punctuality 

Punctuality can be a big problem for staff who are commuting, with everything from traffic to finding a parking space once they arrive at the office, eating into valuable work time.  

As obvious as it may be, if a company is fulfilling their staff’s transport needs, then that company can also ensure that their staff are in the workplace when they are supposed to be and reduce overall lateness. 

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Reputation

When trying to lure the best people to your business, this is another beneficial item that can be put on the job listing. After all, assuring an employee has the means to get to work is removing one added stress from that employee’s life. 

Essentially, businesses who help their staff get to and from the job are adding another reason as to why their workplace is a good place to work. 

This is especially true if the transport at play here has any element of luxury, or is at a time where other transport is either difficult to come by, or not available.  

Climate 

As businesses become more climate aware, this will become an even bigger element; companies will be further encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint and having fewer staff vehicles on the road will help them do this. 

It goes without saying, but one vehicle transporting a large number of people, such as a shuttle bus, is more environmentally efficient than each individual on that bus choosing to travel in their own cars. 

Expand Work Hours 

Another reason some businesses supply transport to their employees is because it can expand their working hours. In areas where public transport is limited and when employees don’t drive, supplying transport can encourage members of staff to work hours they wouldn’t otherwise. This can increase production and have a positive impact on the bottom line of a company. 

Support Work/Life Balance

It is also a way to demonstrate your company’s support of a work and life balance for its employees. 

As the working world changes into a more flexible dynamic, more of the talent pool will be looking for employers who understand that their life is more than just their job. 

By removing the stress of the commute, your company will be showing staff that they care. 

Helping The Local Area 

There is the added bonus that you are reducing a build-up of traffic and contributing to the local area by doing so. 

This can help your company’s general goodwill in the area it is based, opposed to the opposite, when your company’s influx of commuters is negatively contributing to rush hour traffic. 

Parking Issues Resolved 

You will still need to manage your parking spaces for the vehicles that bring your staff to and from work and there will always be a number of staff who prefer to make their own way to the workplace. 

However, if you have supply and demand problems for car park spaces, employee transport alongside an allocation and booking system, such as Wayleadr, can make life a lot easier. 

Less Missed Workdays

Most sick days are just that: days that staff members take off due to illness. 

However, the cynic in us is thinking, that maybe every now and then there is an employee who just cannot face the commute on that day. 

Organising each employee’s transport could theoretically lead to fewer of them taking this type of ‘sick day’. 

We did say ‘theoretically’…

When To Supply Transport for Employees 

Now we know some of the reasons why it might be beneficial to supply transport for employees. 

It makes sense that our next port of call is to at when it is a good idea to provide staff transport. 

After A Consultation With Employees

When it comes to a decision like this, you should hold meetings with your staff to find out how it affects them and what they would like to get out of the situation. 

For instance, there is little point supplying transport to staff members who are walking a short distance to reach the office or have no issue taking public transport.

On the other hand, some members of staff will turn down shifts if they are finding it difficult to get into the workplace. By holding consultations, you can get a more rounded idea of what is required and when supplying employee transport is a good idea and when it isn’t. 

When Parking Demand Exceeds Supply

Of course, supplying transport facilities when your parking demand is above and beyond what is available might be an excellent idea. 

However, this should only be worked into the plan if the alternative transport isn’t taking up a similar level of demand, with shuttle busses being particularly useful in this instance. 

You should also make the suitable adjustments to your parking infrastructure, such as ensuring the barriers are wide enough to support larger vehicles. As previously stated, this is only part of a solution, as there will always be some staff who require parking. Keeping in place a booking system and organising selective assigned parking could be other arrangements that could help this situation. 

After Data is Examined 

Alongside traffic data, you should also analyse when do staff require transport and what is the most efficient time to supply it. 

This can be done by analysing the previous demand for parking spaces from commuters. Other useful data can be gained from examining the likes of rotas, attendance sheets and by speaking to your employees directly. 

To Pre-empt Legislation 

In the US, employers in large districts have transport quotas, known as TDM (Transport Demand Management) targets. These are agreed upon with local government and businesses that don’t meet these targets can be fined. 

Organising group transport for your employees can help you achieve set out targets. 

If your business is in an area that doesn’t have TDMs, then you should know that this it is unlikely to be that way forever. Climate change and traffic congestion are causing legislators around the world to consider implementing this type of legislation in areas where they don’t currently exist.  

To Get Staff Back into The Office 

The pandemic has changed how people feel about commuting. For instance, a recent survey revealed that almost half of Britons plan to change the way they travel to work. 

This urge for change, coupled with the benefits listed above, suggests there could be an opportunity for businesses who are hoping to get staff back into the office

Why Are You Considering It? 

As a business decision maker, you should examine why you are considering this option. 

If it is to increase the amount of time your business can be manufacturing, then you may want to offer this option to staff who are working unsocial hours. If it is to improve the life/work balance of your employees, then you may want to offer different transport options. If it is for the environmental affects, you may want to look at the best way to reduce the number of drivers to and from your workplace on any given day. 

Whether you decide to organise employee transport or not, one thing is clear – you should have a solid parking strategy in place. 

You need a robust parking management software to help you adapt to the increased demand for parking spaces, data integration and safety in the redefined workplace normal. Go with the undisputed market leader, Wayleadr.com.

Join industry leaders from companies like Sanofi, Indeed.com & CBRE, schedule a demo with Wayleadr.com today and solve your parking problems in the click of a button.