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How to Lower Employee Morale

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In their efforts to cut costs, reduce overhead expenses, and boost profit margins, employers must balance the need to maintain employee morale while dealing with these economic realities. Unfortunately, many actions (or inactions) taken by employers can unintentionally lower employee morale, rather than raise it. Many studies have shown that happy employees perform better and are more productive, and recent research also suggests that the modes commuters use to get to work can have a strong impact on overall levels of employee satisfaction.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some ways commuting-related workplace practices can lower employee morale and thus take a negative toll on company culture:

  • Only incentivizing solo driving. Free employee parking is a great perk, but if it’s the only commuting-related advantage you offer, you risk alienating team employees who prefer other modes of transportation. Instead, adopt a robust array of commuter support options, like subsidized transit passes and secure bike parking, to make sure everyone’s needs are met.
  • Not offering alternatives to costly parking. Parking is a major expense, and it’s one that a lot of companies deal with by (a) raising the prices of their products and services or (b) having employees pay to park in third-party lots. Parking cash-out programs, ridesharing initiatives, vanpools, and other alternative commuting modes can all be used to reduce parking demand and thus cut costs for employees and employers alike.
  • Inflexible policies on where and when employees work. Strict policies of this nature make it more difficult for employees to arrange carpools and can contribute to traffic congestion. Employees really appreciate the convenience that flexible hours and telework programs offer.

It’s important for employers to make a concerted effort to cultivate a businesslike yet vibrant, fun, and engaging company culture. People feel more invested in their jobs when the company feels more like a community, and building this kind of environment requires a focused, calculated effort that begins at the management level.

Commuting-related initiatives that help foster a workplace community include commuter challenge and incentive programs that encourage informal competition while engaging your workforce in pursuit of positive and beneficial objectives. Commute options like ridematching and bikepooling can also help to create relationships among co-workers. All these can easily be implemented using commuter management software.

RideAmigos can help businesses and organizations of all sizes avoid lower employee morale while building robust commuter programs with high impact levels. Get started with raising employee morale today!

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Commuter Services

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Commuter services as an employee benefit is a great investment in your company and community

Commuter services are programs that encourage employees to choose smarter, more efficient modes of transportation more often. The end objective is to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs), which is known to deliver a long list of benefits to your employees, your business, and your community.

Research has shown that commuters who leave their SOVs behind in favor of other options have lower levels of stress, higher levels of life and job satisfaction, and tend to be more productive at work.

Beyond benefitting from a happier and more energized team of employees, businesses also win by reducing their parking costs. Commuters who choose active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking, are also less likely to burden company health insurance plans.

There’s more, businesses that align themselves with values that serve the greater good tend to enjoy a more positive perception among the public. They also have an easier time attracting and retaining top talent, which can translate into a major competitive advantage as a new generation of environmentally conscious young people move into the workforce in growing numbers.

You’ll also help your local community by doing your part to relieve traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These benefits become more pronounced and impactful as more businesses adopt commuter services programs.

Be strategic about the commuter services you offer and watch program participation rates climb

The key to building a successful commuter services program is to support a wide range of alternative transportation choices. This allows commuters to pick and choose the modes that best suit them, which in turn will generate higher participation rates. Here’s a run-down of the most popular options:

Ridesharing networks

Linking like-minded commuters to expand their range of ridesharing options is an excellent strategy. Build internal communities within your company, or provide support that helps employees connect with other carpoolers who live and work in the same area.

Carpool incentive programs

Adding incentive programs for your employees, such as preferred parking or parking pass discounts for vehicles used in carpools, is a great way to bolster support for your ridesharing network.

Vanpools

If a lot of employees use the same transit stations or local commuting hubs, you can make their journey easier by using company-sponsored vanpools to provide point-to-point transportation to and from the office.

Bike-to-work infrastructure

Provide secure bicycle parking, storage lockers, and showers to encourage more employees to bike to work. A lack of on-site infrastructure is one of the biggest obstacles that prevents more commuters from embracing pedal power as an alternative to driving. You can also create bikepool programs as part of a complete cycling support strategy.

Smart commute challenges and gamification

Tapping into people’s competitive nature builds buzz and makes smart commuting fun. Commuter challenges and gamification programs that offer prizes and perks to the winners are fantastic for getting people excited about participating, and community-wide challenges and gamification initiatives are also growing in popularity.

Telework support

The easiest commute is the one that’s never made. If a commuter’s work duties can be completed off-site, giving employees support to work from home one or more days a week is an excellent option that delivers valuable flexibility your team members will appreciate.

Another important part of any sound commuter services strategy is to anticipate possible challenges or objections, and build in a solution. This is where guaranteed ride home programs can have a major impact. Commuters are more likely to try alternative modes (and stick to using them once they switch) if they know they have a fast, convenient way home in case of bad weather or an emergency.

Finally, design your program so it leverages the most powerful set of motivators: immediate rewards. These incentives can take multiple forms:

  • A growing number of companies and organizations have used earn-a-bike programs to encourage commuters to adopt more active transportation modes. Commuters earn cash incentives or accumulate credit toward a free bike every time they log a smart commute.
  • Parking cash-outs are another great motivator. Offer employees the chance to earn a monthly payout for voluntarily rescinding their parking privileges or agreeing to limit the number of times they use the spot in any given month.
  • Recent changes to IRS tax codes have also increased the amount of pre-tax income eligible for commuting-related tax deductions. In addition to getting more people using qualified alternative modes of transportation, this strategy can also reduce employer payroll tax burdens.

The RideAmigos team can provide great ideas and a long list of commuter support services, including the ability to integrate these and other programs into a single, unified commuter management hub. Our industry-leading software platform is the ideal tool for planning, implementing, and administering commuter programs.

Get started today with a free program analysis, free commuter tips, or a comprehensive demo of our industry-leading commuter management software.

Tips and (Surprising) Facts About Telework

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Offering telework commuter services is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint and improve organizational resilience.

Providing telework options as a commuter service is a strategy that benefits businesses and employees alike. On the business end, telework delivers three major bonuses.

First, it can generate major savings on parking costs. Offering or requiring employees to work from home instead of coming to the office just one day per week has the potential to cut parking demand by an immediate 20 percent. Since parking is often a major cost burden to businesses, this approach can deliver much-needed relief.

Beyond engaging commuters, telework also helps businesses keep other overhead costs under control. When employees work from home, businesses save on office space, energy consumption and other day-to-day costs that are part and parcel of running a company.

Finally, telework commuter strategies provide a big boost to organizational resilience. Transit shutdowns, traffic congestion and bad weather don’t affect people who work from home. Thus, businesses can stay productive even in the face of problems that would otherwise cause major headaches.

Telework commuter options can also help improve employee retention and recruitment efforts.

A growing number of employees place a high value on telework commuter options. Working from home offers valuable flexibility, helping team members achieve a better work-life balance. That, in turn, leads to higher morale and improved rates of employee satisfaction, both of which are vital to employee retention.

Similarly, telework flexibility can help businesses attract better candidates during the job recruitment process. Human resource professionals note that financial compensation is far from the only thing a candidate considers when evaluating a job offer. Job seekers also value flexibility and forward thinking, and in cases where candidates are fielding multiple offers and salary, working hours and advancement potential are consistent across the board, commuter benefits like the ability to telework can tip the scales in your favor.

Engaging commuters with telework options

Up until very recently, companies were generally hesitant to offer telework options to their employees. Managers typically feared that employees would be less productive without supervisions, and that reduced on-site attendance would harm employee cohesion and collegiality.

Those attitudes are changing, thanks in significant part to research that shows employee productivity actually tends to increase when people work from home. One famous study, carried about by Stanford University economist Nick Bloom in 2010-11, revealed some surprising findings that helped change employer attitudes toward telecommuting:

  • Teleworkers posted productivity gains of 13% when working remotely
  • They also self-reported significantly higher rates of job satisfaction
  • Home workers were 50% less likely to quit their job compared to staff members required to work on site
  • The company involved in the study saved an average of $2,000 per year for each telecommuting employee

Working from home also reduces stress, as it helps employees avoid what is, for many, the single most unpleasant part of their work day: sitting in traffic or fighting crowds on public transportation during their morning and evening commute. In short, it’s one of the best creative transportation solutions companies have at their disposal, and interestingly, it’s one that doesn’t require any transportation at all.

Help employees build good work habits that support productive telecommuting

Some people find the adjustment to working from home more challenging than others. As more and more companies offer telework opportunities as an alternative to traditional on-site attendance, productivity experts have weighed in. They have identified five key strategies that help remote workers stay happy and productive:

  • Create a schedule: Remote employees should set an alarm, plan to be at their desk at a certain time, take scheduled breaks and lunches, and conclude work at a pre-planned hour.
  • Add a social element: Working from home can be isolating and lonely. Employees should brighten up their work days by meeting a friend for lunch, heading to a library or coffee shop, or scheduling a class or activity during the work week.
  • Stay active: As with on-site desk work, remote employees need to be conscious about sitting too much. A midday walk, jog, or bike ride can work wonders for health and morale.
  • Communicate with coworkers: Telecommuters should try their best to feel like a part of the team. Attend on-site meetings and workplace social events to help forge and maintain connections with colleagues.
  • Stick to an agenda: Create a to-do list each day, in keeping with management and supervisor expectations, and plan your day to make sure you reach your goals.

RideAmigos supports telework commuter services by providing businesses and organizations with the technological tools to incentivize and track participation. It is one of the best commuter apps for businesses looking to make life easier for their employees, and it supports a wide range of other creative transportation solutions that encourage employees to carpool, make better use of public transportation, and discover active commuting routes for a healthier lifestyle.

Get started today with more commuter tips, a free commuter program analysis, or a detailed consultation with one of our transportation demand management experts.

University Ridesharing and Commuter Services

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Solve parking and congestion woes by introducing an expanded range of university commuter services.

University and college campuses face a unique set of transportation demand management challenges. Parking is limited, forcing schools to make difficult choices when determining how to distribute permits. Students, staff and faculty tend to keep irregular hours, given the prevalence of evening and weekend classes.

A lot of schools provide free or subsidized transit passes, which helps but doesn’t often provide a complete solution. Given how limited most campus parking facilities are, colleges and universities usually need to take a multi-pronged approach that combines several effective strategies.

One emerging approach that’s making waves at campuses across the country is to expand the available range of university commuter services. Mobile connectivity has created new possibilities that didn’t exist before the smartphone revolution. Schools that embrace cutting-edge commute to school apps open up a dynamic range of smart, sustainable transportation choices.

Ridesharing is one of the most popular alternatives. Campus ridesharing programs usually take one of two forms:

  • Carpooling communities: Students, staff and faculty can join carpools with regular schedules, or access available carpools on an as-needed basis to travel to or from campus. Carpools can also extend to weekend rides home, getaways during school breaks, and more.
  • Vanpool services: Arrange vanpool shuttles from nearby city landmarks or major public transit stations and give campus members a convenient and affordable alternative to driving.

Both are cost-effective, high-impact options with strong appeal for students with limited transportation budgets.

Understand the features of an effective campus carpool network.

For students, the potential cost savings they can realize by carpooling instead of driving are only part of the equation. Many colleges have attempted to create internet-powered ridesharing networks, only to see very low participation rates. This often happens because the network lacks an identity.

Students are less likely to use a university rideshare app that makes anonymous connections. Instead, allow users to link their posts to social media profiles so potential matches can put faces to names. Schools that allow drivers and riders to exchange information about things like music and smoking preferences also tend to have higher success rates.

Basically, it boils down to this: if you build in features that allow users to refine their results to find more precise matches, your program is more likely to become a success. The same is true if your approach eschews anonymity in favor of a more personal approach.

University rideshare solutions for faculty and staff often need to be tweaked in their focus so they speak directly to the needs of employed commuters. Initiatives aimed at engaging staff members can use proven workplace strategies like gamification, premium parking for carpool vehicles, and parking cash-out programs, among others.

Interested in making a vanpool part of your university ridesharing program? Follow these planning tips to success.

Adding a vanpool to your university ridesharing and commuter services is an excellent way to solve the so-called “first mile/last mile” dilemma. Vanpools provide convenient, direct links between campus and major transportation hubs. They’re especially effective in schools that draw a lot of commuters but aren’t well-served by high-speed forms of public transportation.

Here are some strategic keys that can help make your vanpool program a success:

  • Schedule regular service with increased frequency during peak hours
  • Integrate vanpools into your existing rideshare matching and commuter management services
  • Promote the service through widely used communication channels so campus members know about it

Finally, make your vanpool accessible to all campus members, rather than restricting eligibility to only students. You’ll maximize the efficiency of your operational budget and drive higher participation rates by making vanpooling an option for all campus community members.

Campus communities enjoy major benefits by adding university ridesharing programs to their list of transportation options.

These university ridesharing options deliver significant, continuous benefits to campuses, including:

  • Reduced demand for parking, leading to cost savings
  • Less on-campus vehicular traffic, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists
  • A clear alignment with environmentally responsible values
  • Decreased emissions and pollution

They’re also a great social tool for helping students, staff and faculty interact with a broader range of community members. By helping you create and manage new university commuter services, RideAmigos can help you build a stronger and more interconnected campus.

Smart ridesharing and incentive programs can be a great way to address parking problems. Check out our free, downloadable PDF  on curbing campus parking demand.

The RideAmigos software platform delivers powerful management and administration tools, serving as the central hub of your university ridesharing initiative. We’ve already helped a long and growing list of schools around the world better manage their transportation needs, and we’d love to add your campus to our list of success stories. Get started today with a free analysis of your existing commuter programs, helpful commuter management tools, or a detailed one-on-one consultation.