Cycle to Work Day: Empower your teams to do good for the planet

Friday 5th August marks Cycle to Work day in the UK, and it’s the perfect excuse to get your teams thinking about the planet.

Making a positive change, such as cycling to work, doesn’t have to be a one-off thing, and you could help empower your employees to do better not just for the planet, but for their overall health and wellbeing by implementing a Cycle to Work scheme.

What is a Cycle to Work scheme?

The Cycle to Work scheme aims to get more people riding bikes, predominantly to work. The scheme works by allowing employees to spread the cost of their kit across a 12 month period, saving on national insurance via salary sacrifice.

How could a Cycle to Work scheme benefit your employees?

The main benefit of a Cycle to Work scheme is that it makes purchasing a new bike and all of the accessories required more accessible and affordable to employees that may not be in a position to buy these things out right.

Not to mention the fact that physical activity has long been known to positively impact mental health, with it being recommended that the average adult should do between 75-150 minutes of exercise per week.

Swapping a car for a bike even for one day a week not only helps employees meet their fitness goals, but it also positively impacts the planet by reducing an individual’s carbon footprint, and therefore that of your business.

How could a Cycle to Work scheme benefit my business?

Millennials and Gen Z individuals are rapidly becoming the largest demographic of the modern workforce, and they know more than generations before them what they want in a business that they work for.!

With more and more employees prioritising their wellbeing and the environment, implementing a Cycle to Work scheme could be a great quick win to boost your staff retention levels.

There are also more practical benefits, such as saving on National Insurance, reducing pressure on limited car parking, and reducing absenteeism by boosting overall employee wellbeing.

Getting the most out of your scheme…

Some companies offer Cycle to Work schemes because they are popular and easy to implement, however it can often mean that the real benefit of the scheme gets lost on employees.

It’s crucial that should you choose to implement a Cycle to Work scheme, you ensure that it is accessible, affordable, and clearly communicated so that the benefits do not pass your teams by. Although the scheme says the kit is to use to cycle to work, it does not mean your employees couldn’t also use it outside of work, too.

For more help and advice on the Cycle to Work scheme, or implementing a benefits scheme that’s perfect for your business and budget, reach out to our team of wonderful experts who would be happy to show you the ropes.

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