Whether we like to admit it or not, we are living in a car dependent society. In Australia 69% of the population drive to work; in Western Australia 79% travel to work by car which is second to Adelaide’s 80%.
Driving remains the dominant method of travel to work in Australia, while cost-effective and more environmentally friendly options are available.
So why is this?
Active transport options can sometimes lead to longer and less direct work commutes, or delays. It’s valuable time that employees are reluctant to give up, so businesses need to do more to encourage staff to ditch the driving!
At Perspektiv we have recently rewritten our company policies to ensure they align in ways that can help incentivise active commuting across the business.
1. Public Transport Policy
To incentivise public transport use for commuting purposes, Perspektiv provides local public transport cards across all states to cover the cost of an employee’s commute.
2. Flexible Work Arrangements
Perspektiv employees can make changes to when, where, and how work is completed. This flexitime gives the team autonomy over when to start and finish their days. A morning kite surf or after work school run shouldn’t have to take a hit due to arbitrary core hours. We trust our people to perform at times and in places that suit them and as long as everyone communicates effectively, it’s a great way to work.
3. Sustainability Policy – 50% Active Commutes
As a business we made it one of our goals, to reach 50% active commutes by the end of the financial year (riding, walking, taking public transport etc.). Since then, we have been logging all our commuting/travel information and assessing the data at the end of each month. This data has fed into our initiative to become a carbon neutral business. We are also looking into a riding to work incentive, through a tree planting scheme where Perspektiv plants one tree for every 100 km that staff cycle to work – rewilding through pedal power!
Employing these methods and encouraging staff to change their driving habits can also help improve their physical and mental health, and in turn become more productive at work.