Dec 7, 2022
Giving your team a mobility allowance or travel perks for electric scooters and e-bikes encourages car-free commuting. But when winter comes around, your teamâs commuting habits can soon revert to their old ways.
As an employer, itâs up to you to make it easy for employees to continue any sustainable travel habits they picked up during the summer and keep them safe and motivated.
Since the pandemic and the growth of hybrid working, many companies have faced challenges getting employees back to the office.
One way around this is offering travel allowances to employees as a perk â so they can travel on shared scooters or e-bikes and charge the rides to the company. But while itâs a proven way to boost employee retention, itâs simpler during the summer than winter.
Those who cycled to work or rode an electric scooter are likely to have a different level of enthusiasm during the winter. And depending on the weather conditions and your areaâs cycling infrastructure, employees may need alternative options.
But that doesnât mean getting behind the wheel of a car is any safer.
24% of weather-related car accidents happen on roads covered by snow, slush, or ice. Add in the extra hours of darkness and time needed to defrost the car, and many winter commuters will be suitably stressed when they get to the office.
As well as being a safety concern, driving during the winterâs more expensive as cold weather can increase fuel consumption by 35%. If your team expenses fuel usage or holds company fuel cards, this can increase your costs.
Instead of driving to work, you can support your team by offering perks that let them travel by public transport, ride-hailing, or a combination of the two.
Rather than expecting employees to navigate icy roads in their own vehicles, giving them a public transport travel allowance is safer. Plus, itâll save them time usually spent defrosting their car.
With Bolt Business, your team can get picked up by one of our 3 million drivers, whoâll get them safely to their destination. This reduces the number of cars parked outside your workplace and the need to offer as much parking.
Taking the train or bus is a safe and often affordable way to travel. But depending on the conditions, delays can happen. This is why a sustainable travel policy which offers an allowance to spend on a range of mobility options will give your employees the flexibility they need at this time of year.
Carpools and lift-sharing arenât car-free commutes but are a step in the right direction. By carpooling with even one other person, youâre removing a car from the road, which is good news in terms of pollution and congestion.
Exercise is one of the best ways to keep motivated during the winter. And the commute is the perfect time to be active. Whether itâs cycling or walking â either to and from the office or between public transport stops â your team can get that extra motivation for the day ahead.
While cycling during the winter isnât appealing to many, itâs possible â as countries such as Finland show. For anyone who cycles to work during the winter, itâs essential to take the proper safety measures by wearing reflective clothing and getting the widest tyres possible.
Bolt scooters and e-bikes remain on the streets for use until weather conditions get too severe. When conditions still allow for scooter and bike use, you should remind your employees of some essential riding safety tips:
When scooters and bikes arenât available, we recommend alternative forms of travel that still reduce car use, such as public transport, walking, ride-hailing, and carpools.
Business travel apps can be a saviour for your team during the winter.
If members of your team want to keep up active commuting habits, but conditions get too challenging, they can open the Bolt app and get a ride in minutes. Likewise, sudden snowfall can catch even the most prepared commuters off-guard, giving them little time to put winter tyres on their vehicles.
Signing your company up with Bolt Business gives your employees a travel allowance to use in their Bolt app.
So, whether their car breaks down, bad weather prevents an active commute, or they simply want to remain car-free, they always have a simple way to get to the office. And they can charge rides to the company without having to fill out expense reports.
Get in touch today to learn how Bolt Business can help your team this winter.
