The article talks about how the legislation passed a bill that will pay companies $20 a month for every employee that rides a bike to work. This is suppose to help the companies reimburse their employees who buy a bike and ride it to work.
This is a really good program since it will help employers advocate healthier living style and allows employees to save the earth. It may not sound fair that employers are getting paid when the employees are doing all the work. However, the money that the companies are receiving are being reimbursed to employees who buys a bike to use to take to work. Not only are employees becoming more healthy, it is a great way to help the environment also. This is connects perfectly for companies who are attempting to start a bike program for their company.
Since companies are getting paid to have their employees ride a bike to work and are being reimbursed by the government every month, and eventually these refunds make it back to the employee. However, does they employer continue to reimburse them employees or do they get to keep the money after so many months? If they do, wouldn't seem unfair that the employees are doing all the work to making money for the employers?
I think it would be in the companies best interest to continue reimbursing the employees that ride bikes and not pocketing the $20. Even if the company makes no additional money, they are still benefited with healthier more productive employees.
ReplyDeleteAbsolute genius, but yes the money should always make it down to the worker. Especially since they are pretty much paying for their own 'reimbursement' when they pay taxes. If the businesses to not continue to provide the money to the people who are riding bicycles to work, then that is called FRAUD. I think this is a good idea, but most likely will only work in urban areas with a decent climate. That said, Portland is one of the most bike friendly cities in the world (according to a magazine that rates that kinda stuff) so i don't know if that would make this program more effective or less effective because we already have a higher percentage of people riding bikes to work. Either way interesting read and good post!
ReplyDeleteThis is a cool idea but I have a hard time agreeing that the government should be running a program like this.
ReplyDelete1. How do companies track how many employees ride their bikes to work?
2. How often does an employee have to ride their bike to count as "biking to work" for the month?
3. How does the government make sure companies don't lie about the numbers?
It is great that the government is providing incentives but I'm not sure this program was well thought out. It seems to easy for companies to cheat the system.
For companies that participate in this program they should provide money for employees to buy a bike. Like car purchase programs, every few years the company can offer more money for an employee to buy a new bike.