Employee Shuttle Program Benefits

Everyone Benefits from Employee Commuter Programs, Especially Our Sanity

If you live in an urban area and commute to and from work each day in your car instead of riding in one of the increasingly popular, and practical, employee commuter programs, you have my sympathies. It's an agonizing grind of wasted time, wasted fuel, and soul-crushing exasperation. The word 'expressway' is a cruel oxymoron for urban commuters and the ways that people express themselves while driving on expressways are usually less than cordial. Making matters worse, according to the latest traffic figures, the length of your commute is expected to continue to climb for the foreseeable future.

However, a number of progressive companies across the country have taken positive steps to remove the aggravation of the daily commute for their employees by implementing employee commuter shuttle services. And these businesses are finding that the benefits of employee shuttle services manifest themselves in a variety of ways both expected and unexpected which have made a positive impact on their operations.

Employer Benefits of Employee Commuter Shuttle Programs

It's certainly a challenge to present an employee commuter program to a company's Board of Directors. In today's uncertain economic climate, folks that are conservative by nature are going to be loathe to allocate money for a program many of them see as unnecessary. After all, people have been driving themselves to work for decades now, why should the company take on the additional responsibility of employee transportation when companies are tightening their belts and cutting back? Here are some very persuasive reasons why an employee shuttle service makes sense from an employer's standpoint:

• An edge in employee recruiting and retention - Employees view commuter shuttle programs as a very nice perk and according to statistics, employers who provide these programs have an easier time recruiting and retaining employees. The costs of such a program are trivial when compared to what companies spend on recruiting and screening qualified talent.
• Increased productivity - Mention the words "increased productivity" as part of your employee commuter program presentation and you're pretty much guaranteed to have the Board's undivided attention. Employees on company commuter shuttles are able to prepare for the day's tasks on the way, arrive refreshed and ready to work, and are able to get more done.
• Higher employee morale - Company officers prefer a steady diet of facts and figures when making decisions and higher employee morale is something that's hard to quantify with a dollar value. However, companies that have started shuttle programs report significantly higher employee morale which saves these companies money in a variety of ways which are quantifiable.
• Significant tax benefits - The costs of employee shuttle programs are tax-deductible as a normal business expense and since employers do not have to pay federal payroll taxes on subsidized commuter benefits, this lowers their FICA and other payroll taxes. This factor alone is persuasive enough to even make an accountant smile.

Bay Area Employee Benefits of Employee Commuter Programs

Stand in front of any company on a Monday morning as employees arrive for work and the signs of commuter stress are easy to discern. Eyes are focused on the few feet in front of them and faces are frozen in a rictus of frustration. Any smiles that happen to break through the gloom are fleeting and forced and the plodding gaits of drivers tell you all you need to know about that morning's commute. But when given the option of an employee shuttle program, employees report the following benefits:

• Reduced stress - Congested traffic, distracted drivers, long waits at traffic lights, and predatory driving habits add a great deal of stress to any commute. Stress erodes productivity, attention to detail, the ability to concentrate, and inspires us to indulge the darker angels of our nature. Employee commuter programs alleviate almost all these considerations and allow riders to listen to music, read a newspaper, talk with colleagues, and generally enjoy themselves to and from work.
• Significant savings on transportation costs - Instead of wasting untold gallons of fuel waiting at stoplights or idling on in stop-and-go traffic on the interstate, employees simply drive to a predetermined location close to their home and wait for the shuttle. Lower mileage equals lower insurance, maintenance, and fuel costs.
• Improved health - Those fortunate enough to ride to and from work on an employee shuttle report improved health from reduced traffic stress and better morale. Companies also realize significant savings through reduced health care costs, fewer sick days, and improved performance.
• Interaction with other departments - In larger workplaces, some employees may never interact with colleagues from other departments. But if they are able to ride to work together, there are many more opportunities to share ideas, work together to solve common problems, and streamline procedures.

Employee commuter programs benefit companies and their employees in a myriad of tangible and intangible ways but in the end, everyone benefits through fewer cars on the roads, less traffic congestion, and fewer drivers thinking unkind thoughts about one another. These employee shuttle services cost very little to implement and when given the opportunity, the vast majority of employees will gladly take advantage of them. Many of the roads we drive on were designed and built over 50 years ago for far less volume. It's long past time that we took a fresh look at how we get to and from work and given our reliance on foreign oil, employee commuter programs are not only economical, they're also environmentally responsible. If that doesn't sway your company's Board of Directors, mention the money-saving aspects of these programs and you'll have their unwavering attention.

For additional information about Bay Area employee shuttle programs, contact Nationwide Limousine Service today at 800-339-8936.

Call 1-800-339-8936 for your free quote