Your Employees’ Bikes are Making Everything Better
Friday 21 May marked National Bike to Work Day – a day which, this year, likely flew (or cycled) under the radar, given so many Canadians continue to work from home. However, while commuting may not be the topic of the moment right now, it is definitely worth your consideration as we inch our way back to ‘normal’ and begin to think about the world we want to create when we get to the other side.
Why? Well, in addition to many people seeking out a better quality of life during and after the pandemic – something that will impact employers who are looking at their ability to attract and retain talent – it turns out that employees who can ride their bikes to work are very good for business.
Healthy Employees are Engaged Employees
It won’t be a surprise for anyone when we say that people who bike to work are healthier. In fact, a recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that those who cycle to work have a massive 41% lower risk of dying from all causes. Bike commuters are less likely to experience significant diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. They also have stronger immune systems overall.
In addition to physical health, employees who cycle to work report better mental health. A study published in top tier journal the Lancet, found that cyclists experienced 21.6% fewer bad mental health days compared to people who don’t exercise. That’s second only to team sports in its benefits.
Why does this matter for employers?
A large body of research shows that healthy employees are more engaged and perform better at work. Commuter cyclists arrive at work with more energy, lower blood pressure, a calmer mindset and a more positive attitude.
In addition, cycling to work reduces the risk of contracting illnesses, whether that be Covid-19 or the annual cold or flu. So, cyclists are likely to spend more healthy and productive days in the office, and keep their colleagues healthier as well.
Bike Riders are Good for Business
Supporting bike riding might seem like an unusual way to boost your bottom line, but studies show that the return on investment can be tangible.
Research indicates that those who exercise regularly outperform colleagues who don’t, and that just one bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise for as little as 30 minutes has been found to improve some aspects of cognition, including memory, reasoning and ability to plan, and shortens the time it takes to complete tasks. Employees who ride to work have already had this performance boost, and show up clear-headed and ready to thrive.
Wellness programs overall boost company performance. Studies from Harvard have shown that programs that change employee health behaviours reduce the cost of corporate healthcare plans, with an average return on investment of 3.7. When you consider the stand-out benefits of cycling (as well as the fact that staff are getting their exercise before and after work), supporting bike riding seems like a win-win.
Need more? On average, cycle commuting employees take one less sick day per year than non-cyclists. In the UK, this has been found to save the economy almost £83m annually.
Last but far from least, your talent strategy. Attraction and retention strategies are notoriously hard to measure, because there are so many variables. However, wellness initiatives have been shown to improve results in this illusive area. And because we know you like facts as much as we do: 89% of workers at companies that support well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work.
Cycling is Good for Cities
People in the Netherlands think we are very strange. In this European cycling hub, 36% of people use a bike as their day-to-day mode of transport – rain, hail or shine. It’s convenient, safe and is just a ‘normal’ thing to do. This compares to just 1.7 per cent of commuters who ride their bikes in Toronto, despite our lakefront city being relatively flat.
The benefits of cycling to cities are manifold. Cities that support cycling through appropriate infrastructure and accessibility initiatives see reduced pollution, improved citizen health (from both exercise and better air quality), and improved quality of life perceptions for residents.
Bikes also lead to economic boons for cities, which has positive flow-on effects for residents. For example, median home prices in Minneapolis rose $510 for every quarter-mile they were located closer to an off-street bikeway. Bike infrastructure leads to more people shopping local, improving revenue for local businesses (who, hint hint, employee local people).
A 2008 Australian study showed that per square foot, bike parking produced more than three times the revenue for businesses than car parking in an hour. In the UK, they found that if cycle use increases from 2% of all journeys (current levels) to 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2050, the cumulative benefits would be worth £248bn.
During the pandemic, the concept of a ‘15 minute city’, where citizens can access their workplaces and all essential goods and services within 15 minutes, has gained significant attention. We have had the opportunity to see the benefits that little or no commute time has on stress levels, and the time we have to devote to friends, family, exercise and leisure. Cycle commuting can be an integral part of this ‘just recovery,’ especially for those whose employees live in the same community as their workplace.
Make an S and an E impact in your ESG Strategy
We’ve talked a lot about the social benefits of biking for your employees.
Of course, another obvious benefit of incorporating bike-to-work initiatives in your ESG strategy is the environmental benefit. In Canada in 2017, passenger cars and light trucks gave off 85.1 megatonnes of greenhouse gases. That was nearly 12% of all the emissions in Canada that year.
Making it easier and more desirable for people to cycle to work could make a significant dint in that number. In fact, the emissions from bikes are ten times less than that of cars, even when you factor in the impact of manufacture and growing the food that fuels the humans who power the bikes.
If you are looking for ways that your company can lead on reducing its environmental footprint, while simultaneously making a positive social impact, supporting cycling to work could be an excellent option to consider.
How to Make a Bike-Friendly Workplace
Supporting commuter cycling can take a bit of thought and sometimes physical adjustments to your workspace, but with good planning, these don’t have to be complex or expensive.
Bike storage: Staff will need somewhere to safely store their bikes during the day. A lockable shipping container can be an inexpensive option for those with the space, or under-utilized basement areas are great in urban environments.
Shower & changing facilities: People will need somewhere to shower off after their ride. Ensuring you have a shower, changing facilities, and helpful add-ons like hair dryers or spare toiletries can make a big difference to how likely staff are to ride to work.
Incentives: Lots of employers are providing appealing ‘carrots’ to encourage employees to bike to work. Companies from Toronto to Auckland to Paris are paying staff a per diem to ride, while some companies, like credit union Vancity, have rebate programs, to assist with the purchase of a new bike or e-bike. The tech company, SAP, reimburses employees for the cost of the local bike share program, while others cover bike maintenance costs for staff.
Knowledge is power: Bike commuting can be daunting at first. Holding an information day that covers rider safety and offers tips for effective commuting can help overcome doubts.
The benefits of bikes to employees, companies and communities are clear. Supporting cycle commuting can be an excellent initiative to include in your ESG strategy and a way to improve your brand reputation with stakeholders. Perhaps next year, Bike to Work Day won’t fly under the radar- it might even be the biggest day on your corporate calendar!
