Healthier, more productive and environmentally friendly by bike to work
Employees are biking to work more often, which has plenty of benefits. It's good for their health, job productivity and the environment. As an employer, you can play an important role in getting even more employees to bike to work.
"Biking to and from work is relaxation; it helps me clear my head," Lisa Sandstra says. "Besides, I like to be active outside."
A year ago, Sandstra bought an electric bicycle through her employer Zorg van de Zaak. Since then, she commutes to work every day on her e-bike. Even when she has to travel a bit further for an appointment, she uses her bicycle. Sandstra: "An electric bicycle is ideal. I see it as a kind of eco-friendly, healthy city car."
On May 25, it is 'Bike to Work Day', a national day to encourage employees to bike to work more often. This day can be a great opportunity to bring cycling to the attention of your team.
Why participate as an employer?
At Zorg van de Zaak, they call Bike to Work Day a "vitality moment," says Sandstra. "Vitality moments are occasions to draw attention to fit and vital work within your company. On our special SME FiT calendar there are many more such dates."
The SME FiT calendar is a tool for paying attention to the physical and mental health of your team throughout the year. The abbreviation FiT stands for Functioning in the Future. The FiT calendar lists dates related to sustainable employability and vitality of your team.
If you set aside days throughout the year when you work on vitality, it reduces the chance that it will slip by during busy periods. You can put the calendar on your own desk and distribute it to your employees so that the whole company is aware of dates such as Bike to Work Day.
Download the SME FiT calendar here >
There are a lot of benefits when employees bike. The most obvious reason to encourage cycling is environmental. If, as an employer, you want to reduce CO2 emissions, you also want to reduce emissions from employee commuting. Furthermore, it makes your employees more vital, in other words, it makes them physically and mentally healthier.
Cycling makes employees healthier
From a study by research firm TNO (2009) shows that employees who regularly bike to work are less likely to be sick. They miss more than one day a year less than non-cycling colleagues. The more often they cycle and the greater the distance, the less often they are ill. This proves that cycling is good for your employees. They build up fitness and have less chance of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
Biking to and from work is also good for your mental health. It helps employees relax after a busy work day. When you bike, your body makes endorphins and serotonin . Those chemicals create a feeling of happiness. Cycling also helps you concentrate, learn and remember better. In fact, like other forms of exercise , cycling is good for your ability to think. So employees can get to work more productively.
For which employees is this of interest?
More and more people are seeing the benefits. According to the National Travelers Survey by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (2023) shows that the number of bicycle trips to work will have increased by over 2 million per work week by 2022. Meanwhile, employees make four out of ten trips of up to 7.5 kilometers by bicycle.
The study also shows that employers play an important role in encouraging cycling. For example, good bike parking at work and a bike commuting allowance are important motivations for taking the bike to work.
Long distances and luggage
Not every employee can bike to work. For example, because he has to carry a lot of tools or because he lives very far away. But it can be done more often than you probably think.
On average, according to The Mobility Compass for employees who have to travel no more than 15 kilometers to get to work by (electric) bicycle. Those who need to travel longer can use a speed-pedelec, for example. This is an electric bicycle with a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour. There are also electric cargo bikes that allow them to carry more stuff.
How do I arrange it financially?
There are all sorts of ways to reward your employees for getting to work by bike. For example, did you know that the untaxed mileage allowance for commuting not only applies to car trips, but also to bike trips? So you can give your employees tax-free 21 cents per kilometer biked.
In addition, there are a variety of beneficial arrangements to buy or (partially) reimburse your team for a bicycle or e-bike.
Bicycle scheme under the spotlight
Sandstra enjoys cycling and asked her employer herself for such an arrangement. But by no means all employees know about the benefits. Bike to Work Day can be a great opportunity to raise awareness. Talk about the benefits of cycling, tell what arrangements you offer as an employer and go cycling with the whole team that day.
Make it extra fun with, for example, gifts, a breakfast or a sweepstakes for employees who come by bike. Or hire a mobile bike mechanic to make minor repairs or lubricate chains. For more ideas, check out the official website.
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