So there we were, in our Uber on the way back to San Francisco International Airport, when we saw the new rules of the workplace in action.
What we saw was this bus, run by biotechnology giant Genentech, presumably taking employees either to or from work. The sign on the bus said, “this bus removes 120 vehicles from your commute.”
So we did a little googling to find out more. Turns out, according to the company’s website, its gRide program, employees at certain locations receive $4 per day if they do not drive to work alone.
The company’s site also makes this claim: Genentech’s employee commuting program, the collective system of buses, bikes, shuttles, and carpools known as gRide has saved 100 million driving miles since its inception in late 2006.
Genentech’s moves are consistent with CoreNet Global’s recent projections in its report, The Future of CRE, which stated:
“Cars and vehicles on the roadways tend to be one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions. So, one of the simplest steps for businesses to create a substantive impact is to locate in a walkable neighborhood, which gives the employees the chance to live nearby and walk to work.
Businesses are putting a higher priority on locating near public transportation, such as bus, subway and rail lines. They also are more focused on policies that support employees that ride their bikes or buy hybrid vehicles by providing charging stations or bike storage and locker rooms.”
Another lesson that the Future of CRE is teaching us is that companies must focus on employee wellness and happiness if they want to retain top talent. And easing the commute is a great way to make people happy.
According to Fast Company and NPR, if you can cut an hour long commute each way out of your life, it’s the equivalent of making an extra $40,000/year.
What is your company doing to keep employees happy and off the road? We would love to have more examples, please share by commenting on this post.