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Category: Organizational Leadership Capital
One Services,
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Being proactive
sets the tone
Capital One Services, a credit card company headquartered
in Falls Church, Virginia, has been located in Federal
Way for three years. In that short time the organization
has implemented a strong employee transportation program
that has achieved its commute trip reduction goals and
made using alternative commute modes a part of its
corporate culture. Capital One Services is receiving a
Commuter Challenge Diamond Award for organizational
leadership.
Starting off on the right foot was key to Capital One Services' success. When the company first opened its Federal Way office, management took the initiative to inquire if it was required to comply with the Commute Trip Reduction law. Next, Capital One Services staff requested details of the requirements of the law, advice on effective employee transportation program components and examples of successful programs in the area to use as models.
Capital One Services hired a full-time employee transportation coordinator (ETC) to manage the program. Typically, ETC work is assigned to an existing staff person as an additional job responsibility. The company then implemented a full range of employee transportation benefits, including subsidies for all alternative commute options. It provides Guaranteed Ride Home in case participating employees need to leave work during the day or work overtime unexpectedly. It also developed a ridematching system on its intranet site that helps employees find carpool and vanpool partners. Reserved parking spaces are available for carpools and vanpools.
There are covered bicycle spaces, showers and lockers for bicyclists and walkers. The company's flextime program allows employees to adjust their schedule to meet their bus, carpool or vanpool. And, Capital One Services helps eliminate commute trips all together with its telework and compressed work week programs.
As a result of the organization's commitment, Capital One Services met its commute trip reduction goal in just three years. This is unusual for a company in South King County where bus service is limited and businesses are spread out, making joint carpools and vanpools more difficult. Capital One Services has a 15 percent carpool rate, one of the highest in South King County.
“Our management makes our commute trip reduction program a top priority,” said Employee Transportation Coordinator Megan Coates. “We have a good package of benefits and are giving enough staff time to promote the program and make it effective. Some of the managers participate by carpooling and teleworking. They set the tone.”
Commute
Program
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*Some definitions: An “ETC” is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program; “PM” is the transportation program manager; and “CEO” refers to the top management-level person at the worksite. “SOV” stands for single-occupant vehicle, and “CTR” for commute trip reduction.