If you’re looking to foster a vibrant and healthy workforce and improve your business’s green credentials, encouraging more of your staff to leave their cars and embrace life on two wheels is an excellent place to start. Cycling is a clean, fun, economical, and healthy way for your employees to get to work. Riders arrive at work with less stress than those who commute by automobile, ready for a more productive day. Having an active travel policy shows workforce members you take their needs seriously, and that they’re an active part of your organization’s mission and vision.
Employees cycling to and at work must have personal liability coverage in the event they’re held responsible for bodily injury or property damage to a third party. Effective training must be implemented to ensure each person is a competent and safe cyclist, which can be done via self-certification or a test. An e-bike is fine for light commutes. Staff members should have safety equipment like helmets, lights, personal protective equipment, and instructions on how to use them at their disposal.
Without further ado, here’s how to make cycling to work a breeze:
Make Available Showers And Clothing Lockers At The Worksite
Pedaling during the heat of the summer accelerates the need for washing, especially if wearing a lot of riding gear, as it allows too much sweat and dirt to accumulate. Nothing is as effective as a nice morning shower to start the day. Call upon the services of external, skilled tradesmen. In the wet season, fewer people may use the showers. To guarantee a more organized work setting, use clothing lockers in various sizes and colors; they can range from full-size single lockers to a unit of six smaller compartments on a vertical column.
Provide Secure Bike Parking
To make cycling the most convenient mode of transportation, provide secure parking. Options include but aren’t limited to racks, lockers, and bike storage rooms within the building. People who use their bikes to get from point A to point B don’t want to leave their precious possessions locked up in the street only to find the bikes gone when getting out of work. It doesn’t take longer than a few seconds for someone to ride away with a bike. Creating a bike parking solution is a smart investment, so consider aspects like location, security, and accessibility.
Advanced security features like CCTVs, good lighting, and controlled access can further improve the protection of bikes, offering employees peace of mind about leaving their bikes at work. Everyone’s commute is different, but e-bikes get people outside, reduce traffic congestion, and shrink your carbon footprint. A type 3 e-bike has a top assisted speed of 28 mph that must be pedaled to operate, typically allowed on roads and on-road bike lanes but restricted from multi-use paths. Even riders with lower levels of fitness can cycle to work comfortably. Ensure convenient parking to influence workforce members’ decision to cycle in the first place.
Ask employees to provide feedback to determine the amount of parking your company will need. Gym lockers can be included to store helmets and other cycling gear, while cages provide more security than racks and cost less than bike lockers. The experts recommend one employee space for every 7500 square feet and one visitor space for every 20000 square feet. Don’t skimp on parking because bikes can be expensive, and place the entrance in a high-traffic, visible, and convenient location.
Arrange Appropriate Insurance
The bikes are work equipment if they’re used during business hours, so they can be self-insured or insured under a property/all-risks policy. The condition of the road, coupled with bad driving habits, increases the odds of accidents, which can inflict injuries and even result in loss of life. Insurance covers any damage to the bike in the case of accident, theft, or collision, which means it’s easy to make a claim under these unforeseen situations. It’s recommended that you compare quotes online and read the policy terms and conditions before signing on the dotted line.
Offer Incentives Of Various Kinds To Get People To Ride Bikes
Provide incentives to foster increased commuter cycling, such as making it possible for workers to arrange their schedules to avoid peak-hour traffic congestion and darkness. Put simply, allow employees the flexibility to customize their work hours to ride when conditions are safest and not have to deal with any uncertainty that might arise along the way. Additionally, you can provide allowances like reimbursements for the miles traveled to demonstrate your support for their well-being and the environment. You can agree with your staff members which days of the month they’ll cycle to work and get an allowance for those miles.
Ensure Access To A Company-Owned Pool Of Bikes
Make available a pool of bikes that can be shared and used for errands, short business trips, and recreation. There are several things to keep in mind, such as the maintenance, both planned and emergency, of the bikes and the monitoring of the scheme for success. Workforce members can subsidize bike share memberships. At any rate, it’s important to offer information about cycling laws and remind people of the possibility of accidents, so integrate education into your corporate culture. Streamline the creation of a discussion forum and hold route mapping sessions, which enhances the overall experience by ensuring safety.
Concluding Thoughts
Many businesses tend to be bike-unfriendly, largely focused on facilitating employee mobility by investing in and expanding infrastructure for private vehicles. As an ever-increasing number of people choose to travel by bike, it’s up to you to have bike racks, bike amenities (parking, showers, lockers), and bike-friendly policies to help advance sustainability and promote healthy habits. Cycling can save the staff, business, and the entire nation a lot of money through reduced mileage, parking expenses, less need for land, and reduced absenteeism. Offer incentives to those employees who decide to push the pedal to the medal.
Also Read: Why buycycle is a Great Option for Buying and Selling Bikes Online
