Around 74% of American workers drive to work by car 1. Meanwhile, the price of gas keeps increasing in most countries around
the world, and so do our stress levels. These two topics have something in common: the costs of commuting. How much money do
people spend to get to the office?
Using their cars every day to go to work does not only impact your staff’s wallets. It also affects their health and, of course,
the environment. So, we wanted to dig deeper into the negative effects of commuting. Surprisingly, some employees don’t consider
it a loss of time and believe there are a few benefits in driving long distances between their home and their workplace.
We live in an era when people want to make the most of their time and find a better work-life balance. Our ways of working are
changing, and commuting is a bummer for many of us. So, how can you reduce the financial, health, and environmental price of
commuting as a company? This article gives you four starting points to improve this aspect of your organizational culture.
The Work Commute Tax Deduction
Many employees wonder if they can deduct their commuting expenses from their taxes. Unfortunately, this is not possible, only business travel
costs are considered. Until now, all workers have to pay for the costs of their commute from home to their workplace. However, some countries
try to encourage people to carpool by offering a financial bonus. For example, the French government gives €100 to carpoolers that use the
Blablacar platform. As a company, you can also help your staff reduce or cover these costs. We explore this in more detail at the end of
the article.
There is an important aspect we want to highlight regarding the cost of commuting. In most parts of the world, people who earn low incomes
are also the ones with the longest distance to commute and, therefore, the ones who have to pay the most.
But, as we are about to discuss, commuting doesn’t only have a financial cost. It also influences your staff’s health, capacity, and
productivity. Knowing this is crucial to avoid your team members’ careers being negatively impacted due to where they live.
Suggest a Carpooling System
More than 74% of people in the U.S. come to work by car. In the rest of the world, cars are also the main mode of transport. What about
decreasing this number by suggesting your employees share their cars? If your colleagues Mark, Charly, and Allison live less than 10 minutes
away from each other, they can easily reduce their driving costs by three. Moreover, it makes the commuting experience more enjoyable and
encourages team bonding along with workplace connection.
If you haven’t taken this step yet and want to decrease the cost of commuting, it is time to embrace the new ways of working and implement
a hybrid work model. Letting staff members work remotely more often has many advantages. You can learn more about these perks by reading
our article about working hybrid. Reducing commuting and stress is one of the major benefits of allowing flexible work arrangements for
your team. On top of cutting the cost of commuting, being able to work from home also contributes to employee happiness and meets the
needs of a modern workforce.
VENKY