Encouraging sustainable travel for employees during colder and darker months
By Phil Saunders, Project Manager at GO Travel Solutions
As the colder and darker months approach, encouraging employees to travel sustainably becomes trickier as conditions often present challenges that can hinder sustainable commuting habits.
However, with the right strategies, businesses can promote environmentally friendly travel practices, even in less favourable weather. Here are some practical ways to encourage sustainable travel among employees during the colder months.
- Promote Remote Work and Flexible Hours
Remote work: Encourage employees to work from home when possible. This reduces the need for commuting altogether, cutting down on carbon emissions.
Flexible hours: Allowing employees to start and finish work at different times can help them avoid peak travel times and reduce congestion. It can also enable them to commute during daylight hours, making travel safer and more pleasant.
- Incentivise Public Transport
Offer sustainable travel discounts: Provide workplace travel benefits, like SmartGO (www.smartgo.co.uk), which can help employees save on buses, trains, and other forms of public transport. Discounts can make sustainable commuting options more appealing and cost-effective. Employers could also investigate subsidising travel directly.
Internal season ticket loans: Consider offering a loan to employees to allow them to purchase a longer-duration travel pass, which can often work out much cheaper in the long term. This saving can be a critical factor in enabling employees to choose public transport over driving.
- Encourage Car Sharing
Car sharing programs: Set up a car sharing scheme to allow staff to share their driving commute with colleagues. Employers could create and manage their own database or use a dedicated platform provided by a third party to help match employees with similar routes and working patterns.
Reserved car parking spaces: Allocate and manage reserved parking spaces specifically for car sharers. Having guaranteed or priority parking spaces can serve as a strong incentive to making car sharing a more attractive option compared to driving alone.
- Promote Cycling and Walking
Provide facilities: Ensure there are good facilities for cyclists, such as secure bike storage, showers, and changing rooms. If you’re not sure, perhaps run a survey to see how many staff would cycle if improvements were made.
Offer incentives: Offer incentives for employees who cycle or walk to work, such as extra wellness benefits or rewards programs. Demonstrate your commitment to staff safety by providing free lights, high-vis jackets and reflectors to colleagues. If not already, consider setting up a Cycle to Work Scheme to help staff save money on a new bike. Need more info? Check out GOV.UK’s guidance here.
- Educate and Raise Awareness
Sustainability workshops: Hold workshops to educate employees about the environmental impact of their commuting choices and the benefits of sustainable travel.
Share success stories: Highlight stories of employees who are already traveling sustainably. This can inspire others to follow suit.
- Improve Infrastructure
Enhance lighting: Ensure that car parks, bike paths, and walkways are well-lit to improve safety during darker months.
Maintain paths: Regularly clear snow and ice from sidewalks, bike paths, and car parks to make them safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Leverage Technology
Travel apps: Encourage the use of apps that provide real-time public transport information and car sharing options.
Virtual meetings: Utilise video calling tools to reduce the need for in-person meetings that require travel.
- Foster a Supportive Culture
Lead by example: Encourage company leaders and managers to model sustainable travel behaviours and communicate it to staff, perhaps in a newsletter or as part of a challenge.
Create a Green Team: Form a team of employees dedicated to promoting and supporting sustainability initiatives within the workplace.
- Monitor and Adapt
Regular feedback: Gather feedback from employees on their commuting experiences and any barriers they face in traveling sustainably.
Adapt strategies: Be flexible and willing to adapt your strategies based on feedback and changing circumstances.
By implementing these strategies, businesses can create a supportive environment that encourages sustainable travel even during the colder and darker months. Not only will this help reduce the company's carbon footprint, but it will also promote a healthier and more engaged workforce.
Need support with promoting sustainable travel within your workplace? Get in touch today!