Attracting qualified employees is a major challenge in today's competitive labor market, and companies without commuter benefits can be at a competitive disadvantage. Workforce access to job sites is deteriorating in many parts of the Washington, D.C. region due to congestion and lack of personal transportation. Not everyone who can meet job requirements has the option of driving to work. This lessens the job pool for employers in many job centers. Recent graduates entering the labor force, second wage-earners in one-car households, those who cannot afford a vehicle, and disabled workers may lack transportation, but are potentially excellent employees. Offering commuter benefits can expand your labor pool by providing access for people without their own transportation. Check out the following success stories to see how companies used commuter benefits such as carpools, tax-free transit benefits, and teleworking to overcome transportation issues and attract qualified employees.
Quotes
Case Studies
Summaries
Quotes
- "Our carpools park free or at a discount. One comes all the way from Fredericksburg, but they seem to come in more relaxed and happier than other people from far away who get stuck in traffic."
-Electronic Industries Alliance
"Arlington Transportation Partners' employer services have helped us recruit and retain our most valuable asset: employees. Alternative transportation programs reduce the cost and stress of commuting. The result is lower recruitment and employee turnover expenses for our company."
"Offering commuter programs allows us to draw from a larger labor pool."
"In these competitive times, that enables us to stay one step ahead of the game."
-Qwest Communications
Case Studies
Eagle Design and Management
Eagle Design and Management, a private sector company with 80 employees, has offered commuter benefits since 1997. Their program includes using Montgomery County's Fare Share program, a telework program, staggered work schedules, job sharing for new mothers, and subsidies and shower facilities for walkers and cyclists.
In March 2001, Eagle set up a SuperFare Share program, and as an additional incentive, they matched the county's subsidy dollar for dollar. Currently, 25 employees, or 31% of the total employee population, participate in this program. They have designated premium parking spaces free of cost for vanpools and carpools. They have six teleworkers (7.5% of the total number of employees), three full-time from home and three that work one day a week, reducing vehicle miles traveled by about 25,920 miles per year.
Eagle continues to expand its program because they have found that offering transit benefits raises morale, enhances recruitment efforts, and economically, everyone profits.
Their marketing strategies for promoting commuter benefits include:
- Printed guides available for transportation alternatives
- Posters for commuting modes displayed in high-visibility areas
- Articles in the company newsletter
- Semi-annual commuter fairs
- Information packets distributed during new-hire orientations
- Active links on the company's intranet site to all local transit sites
- Commuter Ice Cream Socials to find potential carpool partners
- Matchlists distributed to all employees
Unisys Outsourcing:
Unisys Outsourcing faced rapid growth, high turnover, escalating real estate costs, limited office space, and low productivity in an interruption-prone work environment. To overcome these problems, they implemented a teleworking commuter benefits program with 120 participants. Their results are as follows:
- The company saved $1 million by avoiding relocation and $1 million per year in reduced office space and real estate costs
- Employee absenteeism down 33%
- Increased recruitment from a larger geographic labor pool
- Increased employee productivity, job satisfaction, and retention
Science Application Research & Development (SAIC)
Situation: SAIC employs approximately 14,000 people in the Washington Metropolitan region at more than 80 worksites. An employee-owned company, SAIC is on top of quality of life issues that would affect their workforce. With a growing number of federal governmental projects, SAIC is expecting a large influx of new employees in the coming years.
The Programs: To address these concerns, SAIC implemented the Commuter Incentives Program in July 2000. SAIC offers three commuter benefit programs: a formal telework program, a shuttle service from Dunn Loring Metro stop near Tysons Corner, and a $65 per month commuter benefit subsidy.
The Benefits: To date, 1,500 of SAIC's employee-owners participate in at least one of these programs. The free shuttle is available to approximately 4,000 SAIC employees and their customers for transport to and from the Dunn Loring Metro and three major locations in the Tysons Corner area. Currently, more than 260 employees use the shuttle per week. Through a companion telework program, initiated in January 1999, SAIC employees can receive equipment, office supplies and expense reimbursements. Several hundred employees participate in the telework program.
SAIC believes that the Commuter Incentives Program benefits make good business sense for the company and for its employee-owners. It promotes the program and registration is provided through SAIC's internal Web site. The company intranet also promotes the use of Tysons Corner Area Transportation Management Association's (TYTRAN) pilot ride-sharing program, which assists commuters in finding car and vanpools. SAIC's Commuter Incentives Program was highlighted in the Winter 2000 edition of TYTRAN's "The Commuter News".
Looking Ahead: SAIC has considered several other commuting alternatives and will be implementing a more formalized alternative work schedule. The company will provide information on these new programs for new hires and transfer employees.
Case study based on April 2001 interviews with Leon McLean, Facilities Manager, and Dianne Drake, Human Resource Associate.