Incentivising cycling at work

[PK99]

I've been given the task of encouraging people at my work to cycle instead of using the car to commute. I've come up with the idea of giving people a minute off work for every mile they commute by bike. They all live within 5 miles or so so it would mean they get an afternoon off every month if they cycled every day. What's the best way of monitoring this to make sure people don't drive in, park around the corner and cycle the last half mile? Strava? Is there something easier to use, less intrusive? I'm thinking it might develop into a work Strava group thing where people might be encouraged to cycle more socially.

Any thoughts on the best way to set this up?

If you had someone working there who was disabled and could not cycle, and therefore did not have access to the half-day off a month that would be textbook indirect discrimination, the fact that this would be given to someone simply doing what they had always done would be doubling down on the discrimination.

ACAS:

Indirect discrimination​

Indirect discrimination can happen when there are rules or arrangements that apply to a group of employees or job applicants, but in practice are less fair to a certain protected characteristic.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

This is one of the best threads in ages, some great points. Thinking about it further I'd agree that removing barriers is more important than incentives. Please let us know how things go on.

 

[MontyVeda]

Totally agree on removing barriers... but some folk are soo car centric, they won't think oh they've got a bike shed, showers, etc...

I've worked with plenty of people who'd arrive at work furious every morning because they've been stuck in traffic for most of their two mile commute, then complaining some more because they struggled to park and at the cost of said parking space... and other colleagues, in the same store, who live in the same suburb who walk to work day in day out because it's actually quicker than driving or getting the bus ...and the drivers just won't entertain the idea of changing their habits, even when it saves them time and money!

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

If you had someone working there who was disabled and could not cycle, and therefore did not have access to the half-day off a month that would be textbook indirect discrimination, the fact that this would be given to someone simply doing what they had always done would be doubling down on the discrimination.

ACAS:

Indirect discrimination​

Indirect discrimination can happen when there are rules or arrangements that apply to a group of employees or job applicants, but in practice are less fair to a certain protected characteristic.

Food for thought.

To my knowledge there's nobody there with any obvious disability that would debar them from this. It's something that I've brought up as my wife is disabled and I'm aware we have no lift to the upper floors. Our ground floor workshop is currently being renovated and we're designing one of the workbenches to be variable height to fit a wheelchair user, should one ever work for us. AIUI the law says employers have to take reasonable steps to accommodate all abilities - in this case, would it work if we had something of equal value open to those who couldn't cycle?

 

[fossyant]

Why is it any of the business of the company how an employee gets to work? If there’s a cost to the business, eg parking facilities, then manage those costs by either charging or reducing the spaces.

It's all about carbon footprint, and bigger employers have to estimate it as best they can. Legal requirements

 

[Gillstay]

Bikes can be stored indoors, we have a shower (there's only 20-odd staff there) and we have a cycle-to-work scheme. I was going to ask our workshop if they'd be able to do minor repairs and servicing on bikes.

The servicing could be the reward system.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Ask them if they want a healthier life?

Interestingly, according the experts in behaviour change, health is a poor tool to use to encourage lifestyle changes.

 

[teeonethousand]

Interestingly, according the experts in behaviour change, health is a poor tool to use to encourage lifestyle changes.

I would agree if we are talking future health….making inconvenient changes now that pay off in the future is an age old problem across many change initiatives. However, immediate health issues do usually stir up some drastic changes even if short lived (not meant as a pun ). Even then, some people prefer to drift into trouble.

back to the scheme…if you have to also build in an incentive I wonder if ‘earning’ some kind of credit to be given to a good cause would work with less ’cheating’ …could also be extended to other ‘green’ behaviours so could be inclusive to those that have to pass on the cycling.

 

[Chislenko]

@Joey Shabadoo

Don't do it mate, John from packing who previously came to work by car without so much of a scratch gets knocked off his bike and killed.

John's wife Pamela sues the company and you personally for being complicit in his death as if you and your company hadn't "pressured" him in to cycling to work he would still be alive.

John's son, Ethan also blames you and one night down The Olde King's Head he catches sight of you, comes over and gives you a good pasting.

 

[Hicky]

The strongest incentive is financial either positive or negative.
My workplace(Uni) has a whole sector on sustainability, the most recent scheme is to hire(at the uni’s expense) an ebike for a short period of time to try and capture those who maybe considering it. The problem, zero charging points on campus, nor are you allowed to take bikes into the buildings. Come term time the volume of parking is as you imagine, not enough.🤯

As for financial, we’ve trialed hybrid working post covid for those who can, I presume to aid those who are now no longer using the car parks as often(we used to have fees removed before tax out of the salary) we’ve now moved to being charged per visit based against your pay grade….the downside is it’s effectively raised the cost to around 50% of previous.
Added in the additional travel time and ballsup to the road network and building works going on in Manchester, driving compared to 5yrs ago is a mare. Burnham isn’t achieving much with his beeline either.
In short good facilities(showering/parking/locker). Those who want to, will.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I reckon if you were to survey staff, you'd have a hard core that would never ride a bike no matter what, and a selection that would be happy to even without encouragement, which leaves your main targets, and people to take the most note of their replies, the ones that 'would, but...' and looking at subtle ways to reduce the 'but' elements even if they only rode in for part of the time.

I'm assuming that all the 20 actually live within a reasonable cycling distance too. If not, train or drive and ride could be an option, especially if the non-car element is a pain to drive and there's a decent cycle route option.

 

[Mike_P]

Simply promote the secure cycle parking and showers Savings on vehicle costs (fuel) or public transport fares will encourage those who are open to the option.

 

[Brooks]

Some cracking ideas on here, I've enjoyed this thread. I'd charge people to park their cars on site and use this revenue to provide cycle parking that is secure. Lockers, showers, drying room etc, whatever is needed. If the drivers complain just tell them they are paying for it due too driving in, if they cycle no charge. Incentive right there.
Any funds left over go to a monthly social evening down the pub, drivers won't be excluded as they just have to put into the whip due to not earning the privilege 😜🚴

 

[PK99]

Some cracking ideas on here, I've enjoyed this thread. I'd charge people to park their cars on site and use this revenue to provide cycle parking that is secure. Lockers, showers, drying room etc, whatever is needed. If the drivers complain just tell them they are paying for it due too driving in, if they cycle no charge. Incentive right there.
Any funds left over go to a monthly social evening down the pub, drivers won't be excluded as they just have to put into the whip due to not earning the privilege 😜🚴

Where does the partially disabled Muslim fit in?
Or the female employee nervous about lone cycling in the dark in the winter?
#IndirectDiscrimination

Encouragement by facilities is legally fine.
Bribing or punishing is not.

 

[Debade]

Really good points.

I think it shouldn't be seen as a standalone thing - we're working on all kinds of employee benefits; introducing private healthcare, dressdown Fridays, Birthdays off, the Cycle to Work Scheme itself and this is just an extension of all that. Nobody is forcing anyone to commute by bike, just as we aren't forcing people to take up the reduced gym memberships we negotiated. Since I was made "sustainability champion", we've brought in a lot of schemes like this as well as renovating the building, new LED lights, recycling bins etc and have more planned - new solar powered forklifts for example.

Those that want to commute by bike can and we're going to bring in a rewards scheme to encourage it.

Discussed it with a colleague at lunchtime and the suggestion has been made for an airing room for wet clothes in the winter - not just for the cyclists. We're also going to put in new lockers for everyone. We'll put in a proper bike shelter too rather than cluttering up the warehouse.

I totally agree though that monitoring it through Strava isn't good and I'm going to recommend we just trust people. Out of 20, if we get even 3 or 4 doing it regularly we'll be doing well.

I have been to the Google bike garage. It is a fenced in area in their car parking structure. Commuters enter a gate which locks so bikes do not need to be locked but some may still lock them. Lots of hangars for bikes. But, I was most impressed that Google provided lots of tubes, repair stand, air pump, patches, tools and employee volunteers willing to help out their fellow employees with wrenching support. At least up to their ability. Not sure % that rode but lots of bikes in the parking area.