Opinions

Thu, 04 Feb, 2021

Should Employees Receive Bonuses for Walking or Biking to Work?

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Biking and walking to work are not just excellent ways to get a little exercise every day, but are also socially-conscious choices employees can make. These choices reduce pollution, get financial savings, and may even increase long-term productivity. Both have several health benefits that could lead to long-term productivity for the business.

Benefits For Business And Employees

A man biking to the office

  1. Exercising twice a day by commuting on foot or by bicycle can boost employee health. Subsequently, your employees are less likely to use their insurance and the business could potentially spend less on overall insurance costs. 

  1. Biking and walking both have multiple health benefits. Better health means higher productivity, as exercise can help reduce stress and encourage clear thought. 

  1. Some state governments also provide incentives, such as tax breaks for companies, that encourage their employees to cycle to work.

While all the above reasons point to the benefits of giving bonuses to employees who choose to walk or bike to work, there are some demerits as well.

Things To Watch Out For

An employee biking to office

These bonuses would not be fair for those employees who cannot bike or walk to work even if they wanted to. This includes those that live outside the city or employees with physical disabilities. There is also the matter of safety. 

Incentivizing biking to work might expose your employees to careless drivers and other hazards on the road. Bike accidents are pretty common, and bonuses might encourage people to join without considering their safety.

While developing your policy to incentivize walking or biking to work, there are many factors to consider. While the overall benefits include financial gain, employee health, and productivity in the office, it is essential to keep the safety and comfort of your employees in mind.

PlanetSpark encourages students to look for the most eco-friendly alternatives in life. Our unique learning experience forces students to think critically about their choices

FAQs

  1. Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work? 

While it may motivate more employees to walk or bike to work, giving bonuses to these employees might alienate those who cannot walk or bike to work.

  1. What are the benefits of walking or biking to work for the business? 

Biking or walking to work leads to better health and productivity. Not using motorized transport is a very eco-friendly way to travel.

  1. Cycling or walking, which is better? 

Walking too much on uneven roads can harm your ankles, hips, or knees. While walking does provide more physical activity, cycling is both healthy and efficient.

  1. What is an appropriate distance to cycle to and from work? 

Ideally, you can cycle 5-10 miles to and from work. Too much exercise every day might leave you too exhausted for other activities.

  1. Why has motorized transport become more popular than bicycles? 

There are a host of reasons, the simplest of them would be that motorized transport allows people to travel from point A to B a lot faster. Having said that, in congested cities, this may no longer be the case.

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