It’s no secret that attracting and keeping top talent is a never-ending focus for HR professionals. While offering traditional perks like health benefits and flexible schedules are common strategies for maintaining an edge over the competition, HR professionals often overlook a key aspect of employee satisfaction: transportation benefits.
Studies have proven that reliable, stress-free commuting options can significantly improve company culture, reduce turnover, and enhance overall productivity. However, some misconceptions have led HR managers to underestimate the value of these benefits. Let’s debunk six common myths about commuter benefits and discuss why offering transportation perks like corporate shuttle services can make a big difference for your company's bottom line.
1. Commuter Benefits Are Too Costly
It's a common belief that providing transportation solutions, such as shuttle services, is prohibitively expensive—and offering commuter stipends is a more budget-friendly alternative. However, this isn’t necessarily true. While stipends can help employees offset immediate costs related to gas, car maintenance, and parking fees, they do little to address the long-term effects of a stressful commute, such as decreased work-life balance, reduced productivity, and higher absenteeism.
Over time, these stressors can lead to employee burnout and higher turnover, leaving HR teams scrambling to fill positions. Recent studies indicate that replacing an employee can cost a company one-half to two times the departing employee's salary. Weighing short-term expenses against long-term benefits, which makes more sense: a temporary fix in the form of a $100-$200 monthly stipend, or a lasting solution that reduces turnover and promotes happier, more engaged employees?
2. Commuter Benefits Don’t Affect Recruitment or Retention
It’s easy to assume that transportation benefits are merely a bonus and not a dealbreaker for most employees. However, that assumption underestimates the importance of reliable and easily accessible transportation in today’s work landscape. The pandemic in 2020 gave a large portion of today’s workforce a taste of skipping stressful and time-consuming commutes. A recent survey found that 95% of employees say they would still prefer to work from home at least some of the time, while concurrently it’s estimated that 90% of businesses will push for a return to office by the end of 2024. If this sounds like a familiar conundrum, the solution to attracting talent back to the office even in the face of long commutes is straightforward: Make the commute easier.
Companies that have implemented shuttle services report higher employee satisfaction, a 62% increase in employee retention, and an annual savings of $5,000 in commuting-related expenses for each employee. Furthermore, in rural or suburban areas where public transit is less accessible and commutes are often longer, companies have seen significant benefits from offering transportation solutions as part of their benefits package.
3. Only Transportation Stipends Benefit Employees
While providing stipends may seem like a good way to offset commuting costs, they don't address the physical and psychological stressors that come with driving, such as higher levels of anxiety, increased blood pressure, and long-term musculoskeletal problems. These stressors can add up over time, impacting employee morale and satisfaction.
Additionally, stipends are often fixed amounts, which may not cover the full cost of commuting for employees—think wear and tear on vehicles and fluctuating gas prices—thus leaving them to shoulder additional financial burdens. On the other hand, a comprehensive transportation solution, such as a corporate shuttle, addresses more than just the cost. It reduces stress, minimizes the need for personal vehicles, and offers consistent, reliable transportation. Furthermore, offering a shuttle service supports employees who don't have a car or access to reliable transportation with a stress-free way to get to and from work every day—and even expands the talent pool available to hiring managers.
4. Only Urban Employees Benefit from Transportation Options
One of the biggest misconceptions is that only employees in cities with traffic congestion benefit from corporate shuttle services. The truth is that tailored shuttle routes can serve employees anywhere. While companies and employees in rural areas may not deal with the same levels of traffic congestion as urban areas, they deal with other transportation headaches, such as much longer commute times and lack of reliable public transportation options—especially when seeking work in a seasonal or shift-work environment.
A recent case study conducted with a rurally located manufacturing company found that not only did providing shuttle services help increase employee retention, but it also eliminated many barriers in the hiring process and created a much larger and more diverse talent pool for the company to hire from.
5. Commuter Benefits Only Help Employees with Long Commutes
Another misconception is that commuter benefits only matter for those with lengthy commutes. While employees with longer drives certainly stand to benefit, shuttle services also provide value to those living closer to the workplace. For instance, flexible routing can offer quick, convenient transportation for employees within a few miles, reducing the need for parking space and minimizing individual commuting costs.
In addition, group commuting options encourage a sense of community. Employees sharing a shuttle can engage with each other, creating connections that might not occur in a standard work environment. This sense of community can improve company culture and lead to a more cohesive, motivated workforce.
6. Transportation Programs Are Difficult to Set Up and Run
The idea of implementing a corporate shuttle program may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Partnering with an experienced transportation solutions provider such as SHARE Mobility eliminates the hassle. A well-built, all-in-one platform can manage everything, from route planning and scheduling to vehicle maintenance and driver management meaning companies don’t need to worry about the logistics. A seamless onboarding process ensures that your team can focus on what matters most: your business. By letting SHARE take care of the transportation, you can provide your employees with a reliable, stress-free commuting solution without any of the logistical headaches.
The Case for Corporate Commuter Solutions
Companies can’t afford to overlook the benefits of providing commuter solutions. Investing in transportation services like corporate shuttles doesn’t just alleviate stress for employees—it can help create a culture of care, boost retention rates, and help attract new talent. From cutting down on tardiness and absenteeism to reducing turnover rates, the advantages are clear.
SHARE Mobility’s comprehensive platform makes implementing a transportation program easy and cost-effective, proving that commuter benefits are not only feasible but also highly beneficial for companies of all sizes. For HR managers considering new ways to enhance their benefits packages, it’s time to think beyond stipends and explore what a well-designed corporate shuttle service can do. Learn more about how SHARE Mobility can simplify your corporate commute solutions by talking to our knowledgeable sales team today!
