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Flextime, Telecommuting Most Popular Commuter Benefits: Survey
OAKLAND, Calif. -- As gas prices continue to rise and more companies measure the carbon footprints of their employees, more businesses are encouraging and giving incentives to employees to get to work in ways other than alone in a car.
Seventy percent of employers surveyed by TransitCenter believe they need to take the lead in encouraging employees to reduce the impact of their commutes. Companies are also worried that they will need to increase salaries to make up for increasing commuting costs, and many companies link rising commuting costs to employee retention.
The 2008 TransitCenter Commuter Impact Survey looks at the state of employer commuter benefits. TransitCenter, which offers tax-free commuter benefits and supports transit options, surveyed 1,283 human resources professionals and customers of its TransitCheck program.
The third annual survey found that 40 percent of companies offer some sort of commuter benefit program. Forty-nine percent offer flextime, 42 percent offer telecommuting, 24 percent offer tax-free commuter benefits and fewer than 10 percent each offer subsidized vanpool or carpool.
Although 53 percent of all the employers surveyed are aware of tax-free commuter benefits from the IRS, only 46 percent of those offer them to employees. Fourteen percent, though, plan to add them to their employee programs.
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Using Video Communication to Reduce Travel
This article is 100% true, and we are seeing a lot of companies beginning to explore video communication to ease the costs of travel, and promote a work life balance. It's now as easy as dialing the phone. I personally have face to face meetings with corporate everyday using nothing more than a high speed internet connection from my local cable provider. The picture quality has been incredible. Please visit my blog at www.bjwest.typepad.com, or email me directly at bjwest@iti-go.com if you have any questions.
Another incentive companies
Another incentive companies are offering employees is free transportation. By handing out pre-paid transportation passes such as the Eco Pass companies are encouraging employees to leave their cars at home and helping them reduce the environmental impact of their commute.
~Steve Kurtz (Green Restaurant Education Center)
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