According to federal and state laws, commuting is not officially part of time worked. Understandably, many employees believe that a commute is part of the time taken from their day to perform employee-related tasks. Regardless of how employers feel about this, they should be concerned about employee safety and happiness regarding their commute. There are several ways that employers can manage employee safety and satisfaction when it comes to travel time to and from the job site.
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Avoid Long Hours
Long shifts, particularly ones that result in overtime, can be exhausting and draining for employees. After these shifts, employees must then commute home safely. Exhaustion can reduce response time and cognitive function while driving, increasing the risk of accidents. Ensure employees aren’t too tired to drive home after long shifts. Consider scheduling longer shifts in remote or hybrid settings instead. Alternatively, long work hours can be split over multiple days instead of one long shift.
Consider Remote Options
Many roles and tasks can be done accurately and safely from the employee’s home. You don’t have to switch an employee entirely to remote work, but you can present the option if a commute is particularly long or challenging. Many companies implement a hybrid work week, which involves partial office time and remote time. You can quickly increase employee happiness by reducing commute frequency and time through remote work options.
Encourage Carpooling
Carpooling is an excellent way to reduce transportation costs and carbon footprints, as well as improve employee relationships. You can offer incentives for carpooling activities, such as gift cards or praise for ‘helpful employees.’ Carpooling incentives or programs can reduce commute stress and accident risks.
Free Transportation
Some companies offer free transportation services via shuttle for their employees. Typically, this is more viable for companies with fewer employees or larger companies that can afford to hire multiple shuttles. While this costs a bit of overhead to pay and supply drivers and shuttles, it can create a happy employee base with lower turnover and improved productivity. You can also reduce the risk of commute-related dangers or accidents.
Flexible Scheduling
Commuting in the dark is more common during the winter. When scheduling employees, consider their commute and travel needs. If there are ways to reduce time traveling in the darkness or dangerous weather, consider scheduling employees to reflect this. You can also consult with employees to determine their preferred travel times and plan accordingly.
Travel Time Compensation
Most employers do not consider travel time as billable or payable hours. However, if you are responsible for employee payroll or benefits, consider adding a small bonus for travel time, particularly for longer commutes. Further, consider compensating all employees for travel time if affordable. You can create a very loyal team of employees when offering these particular benefits.
Exterior Lighting
When employees must commute in dark conditions, ensure the parking lot and building exterior are appropriately lit to improve visibility when driving and walking into the building. Better visibility reduces accidents and injuries from falling and reduces employer liability during litigation.
Employee Perks
Consider a safe commute as part of an employee benefit or perk pack. You can include a free subscription to travel safety apps or programs, such as OnStar. Alternatively, a personal alarm can work well in emergencies, contacting authorities at the press of a button if a commute emergency occurs. Other commute perk options include gas mileage rewards, commute time compensation, free transportation to work, and more.
Safe Travel Workshops
To foster and encourage driving safety, particularly during the job commute, you can implement safe travel workshops and reading materials as a part of employee training. Not only may this help lower the risk of commute-related accidents, but it can also show that you care about your employees’ well-being.
Commuting Accidents
Unfortunately, regardless of driver and employer caution, commuting accidents do occur. Benefits like worker’s compensation will only typically cover commute accident injuries if the employee performs a job-specific task simultaneously, such as a delivery or supply pickup. Laws, statistics, and circumstances vary by location, so you can supply advice or legal assistance for your employees if necessary.
Nevada
Employers can only be liable for commuting accidents if the employee performs job-related tasks. Per the ‘coming and going’ rule, accidents resulting strictly from driving to and from work do not count. It is best to encourage employees to consult with a Nevada attorney to determine liability and ensure adequate compensation from responsible parties.
Florida
Almost 80% of Floridians commute to work daily, increasing the risk of accidents. Liability and laws vary depending on the employee’s work status (independent contractor or employee), type of vehicle (company or personal), and type of work-related function performed while driving (commute or job-related driving). Any Florida attorney can help workers understand their rights and case specifics.
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, large cities like Madison and Milwaukee see a lot of commute-related accidents due to their employer-centric locations. In most cases, employees involved in commuting accidents here are not liable for worker’s compensation. Still, they should be encouraged to consult with a lawyer to help with an accident claim within three years of the accident if seeking compensation against other drivers.
Conclusion
Commuting can be frustrating for both employer and employee, as it takes time and puts employees at risk for accidents. There are many ways to combat the frustration and risk of commute time. Safe driving training, carpooling incentives, and employee perks can make a commute less frustrating. Employers can also reduce commute times through flexible or hybrid scheduling, increasing remote work, or offering free transportation.
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