5 strategies to encourage your employees to cycle to work

Posted: Wed, 14 Sep 2022 10:13

5 strategies to encourage your employees to cycle to work

Building the case for an active commute

The benefits of being a cycle-friendly employer are well documented.

Simply put, a healthier workforce is a happier, more productive workforce.

Actively promoting healthier travel options in the workplace has been shown to reduce absenteeism by up to 20%.

And, a well-designed employee health promotion programme can increase employee job satisfaction between 10% and 25%.

There are other benefits which are not immediately obvious. For example, helping to relieve traffic congestion, which 90% of businesses say is a problem.

But, what do you do if your employees are reluctant to embrace active travel?

Why are some employees reluctant to cycle to work?

According to the Moment of Change Behavioural Insights Team's scoping study, for employees to take on cycling to work there are five objectives that must be met:

  1. Affordability – Employees perceive cycling as good value for money and more economical than other transport options.
  2. Awareness – Employees are aware of the benefits of cycling and familiar with the cycling initiatives and opportunities available to them.
  3. Infrastructure and functionality – Individuals feel cycling is safe and have access to the equipment and infrastructure they need.
  4. Habits and friction – Starting to cycle to work is not seen as overly effortful and it's easy to give it a try.
  5. Skills and confidence – Employees feel they have the skills and confidence to try out cycling and to cycle regularly.

Let's go through each of these barriers and consider some suggestions to help employees embrace cycling to work.

Cycling to work: 5 ways to motivate employees

Every organisation is different, so what works for you depends on your workforce's challenges and circumstances.

1. Affordability – provide economic incentives:

Cycling to work instead of driving could save your employees over £3,000 every year.

However, some employees may be discouraged or even excluded from cycling to work due to the initial expense compared to public transport.

  • Set up a Cycle to Work scheme. Your employees can benefit by purchasing cycles at a discount and reducing their National Insurance contributions, and you can as well.
  • Pay as you save loan scheme. Provide interest-free loans to employees who wish to buy a cycle, just as you would for public transport travel cards, to repay monthly at the cost of the forgone rail/bus/petrol mileage.
  • Run a cycling reward scheme to encourage cycle commuting, for example, extra annual leave, credits for an onsite café or bike gift vouchers.
  • Cut out the middleman. Buy good quality locks, lights and so on and sell on at trade prices. You could also buy refurbished cycles from charities or social enterprises and sell them at a discount price.
  • Offer short to medium-term bike loans to employees to allow them to try a cycling commute before investing in their own bike.

Make cycling to work accessible to everyone

Becoming a cycle-friendly employer is a great way to retain and attract new talent.

It is important for employees to work for a company that demonstrates corporate social responsibility and cares for their wellbeing.

But in order to engage employees who are reluctant to cycle to work, the organisation's commitment to active travel must be genuine and inclusive.

Everyone in your organisation, including clients, visitors, and suppliers, should know that your organisation promotes active travel.

It is important to use inclusive language and images in your communications, to include modified and non-standard cycles in your loan and float schemes, and to identify cycling champions who are representative and inclusive of all people cycling.

(Source: Sustrans)

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