Incentivising cycling at work

[Bazzer]

Personally, I found it was a combination of personal motivation and facilities.
In the late 90's I worked in a building where the bike storage was an afterthought to appease the city council. Access to it was horrible and my former school bike shed was better built. Consequently it was rarely used and when I used a bike to work, I preferred to keep it in my office.
The four buildings since then have all had better cycle facilities, all of which have shown a better take up of cycling and varying degrees of parking. My current one has a secure space for 120 bikes, 3 lockers of spares, shower and changing facilities and personal lockers for clothes, shoes etc. The further disincentive to car use, is there is no car parking. But the city does have good rail connections.

 

[Hicky]

The provision of tools/pump station is great IF maintained. We have them at work, they’re all knackered. It instantly makes you think the employer is doing a tick box exercise and doesn’t really give a hoot(despite huge online self promoting waffle of non reality).

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I'm not sure that you can incentivise people to do this, or for that matter whether you should or not, I feel that all you can do is remove the barriers which may stop them doing it.

I work from home & only for my own health benefit do I sometimes ride to work (I open laptop, do urgent stuff, then go for a ride), but I do it when I want & would not like to think I was being pressured into doing it.

Does the boss ride to work or does he still turn up in his gas gussler, or very expensive EV? I think he & the senior management have to lead by example, the facilities need to be put in place & then the management need to start using them, those that can & want to wwill follow their lead, those that don't want to won't & those that can't because of personal reasons my suggest things that they would like to do instead.

 

[harlechjoe]

I agree with other replies.

• Some people may be put off from cycling because they are not as fit, slim, fast or strong as other people and don't want to be shown-up. Quiet and supportive conversations that encourage and overcomes barriers often wins hearts and minds.
• Others may lack confidence to cycle on the roads who may gain self-confidence from cycle-craft guidance or informal coaching.
• To create cycling culture have you considered setting up a a cycling club with different branches for men and women so those with an interest in recreational cycling, touring, Mtb, or road cycling.
• How can you help those with impairments - e.g. funding adaptive cycles

All the best !

 

[cougie uk]

I'd send a quick survey round to ask what's stopping people cycling now.
And maybe buy some cakes for people responding.

 

[newts]

It's very difficult/nigh on impossible to promote cycling to work & offer personal gain without out upsetting those who can't/won't benefit from the offer. The company could offer to make a donation to a charity (decided by the workers) for every mile cycled to work collectively over a given period.

 

[matticus]

It's very difficult/nigh on impossible to promote cycling to work & offer personal gain without out upsetting those who can't/won't benefit from the offer.

I guess that's the flipside to having free parking and the like. Not everyone CAN drive, and some choose not to.

 

[cougie uk]

In my office there were people who didn't want to use the stairs because it was effort. I think a lot of people's only exercise is to the car and from the car to the office. I don't think winning them round would be easy.

 

[DRM]

It's very difficult/nigh on impossible to promote cycling to work & offer personal gain without out upsetting those who can't/won't benefit from the offer. The company could offer to make a donation to a charity (decided by the workers) for every mile cycled to work collectively over a given period.

I think this is a fantastic idea, nobody is getting a benefit that their colleagues can’t, everyone is involved in deciding on a beneficiary, perhaps sticking with local good causes would be good for everyone’s morale.

 

[Brooks]

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.

So all car parks means indirect Discrimination??? Your world is strange. I'd charge to use the car park, no free parking. How's that OK.

 

[PK99]

So all car parks means indirect Discrimination??? Your world is strange. I'd charge to use the car park, no free parking. How's that OK.

Typical internet failure to engage with the substantive point:
: If you give a benefit to workers it must be equally available across all groups/characteristics. If any group with a protected characteristic is excluded the scheme is illegal. And not just the existing workforce.

 

[currystomper]

We have just had a GoJoe month (it's an app) with teams competing for points; seemed to work quite well, You can ride walk run do yoga etc and you get various points per km or minutes. Maybe a good way to kick start some good habits. Not sure I would want to do it all the time. Ps our group came middle of the road: 4th

Also I run a company group on Strava which has got a couple of folk out and starting doing some exercise.

 

[cougie uk]

We used to do the Global Corporate Challenge. I think it was about 6 weeks long and everyone in a team got pedometers and you could compete in your company or department or against the world etc.

If you did other activities like cycling then that translated into so many steps per mile. It was great for getting people out together but I don't think it converted anyone to exercise who wasn't already doing it.

It got quite competitive but the winners were a global team of people working on massively long 'cling film' machines and they all hiked mountains all weekend. Amazing.

 

[FishFright]

Pay them for doing it. Money motivates.

 

[rivers]

I work in a university that is trying to increase the amount of people cycling to work. We have loads of bike parking (although I store my bikes in the workshop of my building), several buildings have showers, cyclists have access to a drying/laundry room, a few times a year doctor bike is booked to come to campus for servicing, and we have an excellent C2W scheme (green commute initiative). We also have some electric pool bikes that staff can book out to try or get between sites if needed.