This article talked about a number of companies that reward employees for going green. The article selected a handful of companies and shares the specific ways that they incentivize employees to go green. It was interesting to see the variety of methods that some companies use. Google and Cliff Bar both offered a wide variety of options to encourage employees to go green. Both of these companies encourage employees to bike to work by providing incentives for doing so. They also make accommodations for employees that need to drive by making hybrids or electric cars more available for use.
My first thoughts after reading this article was that more companies need to implement similar programs to encourage employees to go green. These programs are likely to get employees to do green home projects, riding their bikes to work or driving green vehicles. It all sounds so great. However I got a little concerned as I started thinking about it more. I asked myself, why do companies have to provide incentives to its employees to get them to go green? If the employees were concerned about the environment and willing to do something about it they wouldn’t need incentives from their employers. While the article states that these are rewards for going green I don’t see them as being very different. Employees that were doing green activities before the program started will only continue to do green activities with the rewards program in place. Employees that didn’t do green activities before the rewards were in place may start to. Obviously it is a good thing for someone to start going green but what happens when the company decides to stop the rewards program. At some point the company will decide to cut the “go green” program. How many employees will go back to their non-green ways?
While I think go green programs are great, I don’t think they are sustainable. Many companies can’t afford to reward employees for going green. Some companies that can afford it now may not be able to in the future. Ultimately someone has to have the internal, self-motivated desire to go green for sustainability to be improved. Go green programs are not sustainable but they are a great way to convert people to sustainable living.
http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2010/09/09/companies-that-reward-employees-for-going-green/
I totally agree with what you said. As an employee I don't want to be dependent on a bus, I don't want to wait for someone to come pick me up, and I don't want to bike in the morning when there is rush hour. There are too many factors that lead me to staying away from the alternative transportation. There are other ways as an employee I can show that I am green. Changing my lifestyle a little more can be the way I can go green. Companies shouldn't do this transportation thing as a means to going green. Go green in other ways.
ReplyDelete