Are commute options going to cost me an arm and a leg?

Dear Exec:
Many small companies share your predicament: owners know that their employees would like to telework or take the bus etc., but they don't know if they can afford to subsidize the costs of these programs.

First, hosting a commute program for your employees does not cost you money in the long run; it actually saves the business money. Take the Diamond Award winning Bellevue Downtown Association for example. The BDA employs 14 people who each receive a 100% subsidized FlexPass. Additionally, employees who vanpool may do so at a cost of $60 per month.

Steve Gilbert, Vice President of Transportation for the BDA, has this to say about employee transportation options: “Our theory is to try to take transit first. If employees take the bus to work or related meetings around Bellevue or into Seattle, the company isn't paying for the parking and the company's not paying for the mileage.”

Providing opportunities for employees to use the bus, carpools, vanpools, telework, or compressed workweeks to help reduce their time on the road can keep employees happy, retain them on the job, increase their effectiveness, and reduce overhead costs, such as parking. Let's see... happy employees, decreased overhead, and increased production – a President's dream!
HOV