*The cost-of-living crisis is all over the headlines, and commuting costs are getting harder for your employees to cover. We’ve put together some top tips for employers to help make commuting to work more affordable for employees. *

Canada’s inflation rate rose to 8.1% in June 2022 – the highest in 39 years.

The soaring food and gas prices have been all over the headlines. Your staff will be feeling the pinch harder than ever, especially if they are back in the office and commuting to work every day.

Not only is transportation (gas, parking, or public transit) an additional cost, but it is now more expensive than it was before the pandemic. We’ve put together some top tips to help your team travel for less and keep attendance affordable.

Why is the cost-of-living crisis such a problem?

Given the high inflation, basic necessities are getting more expensive while wages haven’t kept up.

As a result, people are feeling the squeeze and are turning to their employers for help. However, following the pandemic, businesses and SMEs are being hit hard by price rises too, so helping your staff isn’t quite as simple as just paying them higher wages.

For many employers, a great alternative is to be more enterprising and offering financial support through other means.

Why you should help staff with transport costs

The Canadian labour market is facing a labour shortage at present. Rising cost of living only makes it harder for small businesses to attract and retain skilled employees.

A recent survey found that employers have been hiring staff with much less experience, and sometimes even without the necessary hard skills, due to this labour shortage. In such a scenario, it is essential that employers implement cost-effective and innovative ways to improve employee experience.

By working to support your team with these expenses, you’re actively improving your staff’s relationship with work. As a result, you’ll improve engagement, retention, and attendance.

You’re probably on track (no pun intended!) to working out the opportunities here. Making these journeys easier is a great way to support your employees.

How can I help my team afford their commute?

*Set up a carpool system *

Sadly, there isn’t much you can do to reduce the costs of fuel. However, setting up a carpool or ride-share discussion among your team is a sure-fire way to keep it manageable. Everyone’s commute will become cheaper, thanks to everyone chipping in.

Simply set up a team chat, or send round an email, and your team will be able to organise themselves into saving on their costs. It’s a win-win scenario.

*Offer reimbursement for travel expenses *

You could also consider providing transportation benefits to your staff, such as a monthly conveyance reimbursement or parking subsidies. Depending on how your team is spread across the city, running office shuttles for your employees is another way you could help them cut costs related to transportation.

*Look into flexible approaches to working *

A flexitime system—that is, allowing staff to decide their start times and work earlier or later accordingly—is a great way to help your team avoid rush-hour traffic.

Remote or hybrid working or flexibility around office hours is a perk now sought by most job seekers. The 2021 Hays Salary report found that the option to work from home was listed as one of the “most desired benefits” by the employees surveyed.

If it fits your business, hybrid working is worth thinking about. One day of homeworking per week is a huge saving on your staff’s weekly commuting costs and other expenses incurred when coming into the office. It also promotes a better work-life balance, improves morale, and can be easily set up with the right system.

This is where Blip comes in. With it, your staff can set their start and end times, and record their hours to the minute. That makes off-peak working a breeze.

Blip also allows you to set up workspaces in the business and at home. As a result, your staff can clock-in remotely from anywhere, including their homes, and still accurately track their hours.

If you’re already using BrightHR, then great news! Blip is ready and waiting for you, absolutely free. Just pop onto the App Store or Google Play today.

If you aren’t a BrightHR user, we can offer you a completely free product demo! We’ll take you through Blip and all of BrightHR’s other amazing features, at a time that suits you.

To learn more about what BrightHR can do for your business, call us today: (1) 888-220-4924.