Getting Smart About Getting To Work
Commute Help Becoming A Valuable Perk
By Kevin Smith© Pasadena Star-News, August 14, 2005
Want to hang on to your employees?
Performance-based bonuses are nice. So are 401(k) plans, stock options and generous vacation time.
But as gasoline prices edge ever closer to the dreaded $3-a-gallon mark, experts say companies would be well advised to offer ride-share programs, telecommuting or other options that allow workers to reduce their travel expenses.
"Loss of workers because of fuel costs will be far more expensive productivity-wise for employers than offering solutions to fuel costs,' said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Challenger said human resources executives are concerned about the negative impact of rising gas prices on their employees.
As a result, some have instituted emergency measures, such as car-pools, telecommuting opportunities or pickup and delivery service to train and bus stops. Others are even promoting healthy lifestyles - such as biking to work - for employees who live nearby and want to cut travel costs.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge isn't worried about losing workers because of high fuel prices - the world- class institution attracts people from all over the globe - but it does offer a slew of programs that can help reduce commuting costs.
"We have a van-pooling program, a car-pooling program and a bicycle club with more than 100 people,' said John Miranda, JPL's employee transportation coordinator. "We also provide electric vehicle-charging stations and lockers and showers for the employees who walk or ride to work.'
JPL worker Steve Appleford participates in a 14-passenger van pool. It saves the 62-year- old Laguna Niguel resident a substantial amount of money - and traffic aggravation.
"I've worked at JPL since 1966, and I started out driving to work,' Appleford said. "It's about 58 miles one-way. But this van-pool was a good choice on my part. You save time and money ... and you can be in the car-pool lanes. I can even sleep on the way in and on the way back.'
Appleford figures he'd spend nearly $60 a week on gas if he drove his Toyota Camry to and from work. His weekly van-pool expenses run about half that.
"I'll never go back to driving myself,' he said. "The cost of gas and the traffic have both gotten so bad. Between the traffic and the gas ... it's out of sight.'
Miranda said JPL strives to offer as many incentives as possible to get employees to participate in its ride-share programs.
"We provide prime parking here for the van-pools,' he said. "And we have ATM machines and a credit union here on campus - all the things that people might otherwise leave to go to during lunch.'
West Covina-based Foothill Transit also offers employees an alternative. The company, which has more facilities in Irwindale and Pomona that are operated by subcontractor First Transit, offers free, 31-day transit passes for employees at all three facilities.
"They can use them whenever they need them,' Foothill spokeswoman Felicia Friesema said.
The passes allow employees to ride Foothill Transit buses for free to get to and from work. The basic adult-local pass has a retail value of $50; the local pass is worth $100 and the more elaborate express pass has a retail value of $120. Employees are given whichever pass best suits their needs, based on distance.
When one pass is used up, the company provides another.
"We make it very easy for our employees to use public transit,' Friesema said. "We have a very friendly workplace, and I think we do a great job of retaining our employees and encouraging the use of public transit.'
Avery Dennison Corp., a Pasadena-based maker of pressure- sensitive labels and office supplies, doesn't coordinate a company car-pool program. But Avery does offer covered parking attached to the company's building for employees who car- pool.
Roger Rittner, Avery's director of internal communications, said some company employees also telecommute - although not on a regular basis.
"We have a number of people at all levels in this building who work from home occasionally,' Rittner said. "If they have a family circumstance or something, we'll do what we can to accommodate it.'
Rittner said the company is open to the idea of telecommuting.
"If an employee brings to our attention the need to telecommute - and if our business isn't (adversely) affected - we'll consider it,' he said.
Gary Kaplan, president of Gary Kaplan & Associates, a Pasadena-based executive search firm, said car-pooling and telecommuting tend to be more pervasive with larger companies.
"They tend to be a little more progressive and ahead of the curve,' Kaplan said. "It can be a great concern among employees where there are significant commutes.'
And when you combine California's soaring gasoline prices with the region's ever-escalating home costs, some companies are having difficulty recruiting employees from out of state, he said.
"Today's job candidates are much more sophisticated,' Kaplan said. "They will go to a variety of job sites on the Internet and ID the comps, or comparable places to live.
"If they live in Cincinnati and earn $139,000 a year, they might say, 'I need $279,000 to live in California,' ' he said.
Kevin Smith can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2701, or by e-mail at kevin.smith@sgvn.com .
