02.11.20
Tips to make your workplace cyclist friendly
With the rise in popularity of cycle to work schemes and commuting to work via bike, a lot of employers
have chosen to upgrade their facilities to accommodate employees that choose to cycle to work. In
recent years, this has led to the creation of a Cycle Friendly Employer certification, which sets out a
standard for cycle friendly employers in Europe.
In this article, we’re going to go through some of our top tips to help make your workplace cycle
friendly.
Provide washing/changing facilities
A common reason for people opting not to cycle to work is a lack of washing/changing facilities.
Breaking a sweat whilst cycling to work is almost unavoidable, and no one wants to spend a whole
work day feeling sweaty and uncomfortable.
Install lockers
Following on from our point on washing/changing facilities, we’d also recommend the installation of
lockers (or a similar secure storage solution) to allow employees to safely store their belongings after
cycling to work. This will also make sure that belongings are also not left lying around to cause a fire
hazard.
nstall a bike shelter/parking facility
One of the biggest concerns for cyclists (particularly those who have splashed out on their bike) is
security. Installing a bike shelter (or similar facility) will give them peace of mind that their bike is safe
whilst they’re at work. We’d also recommend situating this close to the building to ensure that
employees have visibility of the bikes at all times.
Enrol in a cycle to work scheme
One of the more obvious reasons for not cycling to work would be the fact that your employees might
not want/be able to afford to purchase a bike. Setting up a cycle to work scheme for your company can
make bikes much more affordable and easily accessible!
You could also go down the route of a pooled cycle to work scheme, which would involve the
loan/purchase of a fleet of cycles for the business, which could then be loaned out to employees.
Install a bicycle service box
Installing a communal service box containing bike maintenance tools would allow employees to
perform basic maintenance and fix any issues that they may have picked up on their bike through
extended usage.
Promote cycling internally
We’ve covered a lot about facilities, but it’s just as important to promote and champion cycling
internally if you want to be seen as a cycle friendly workplace. Ways to do this include holding
challenges and assigning a cycling officer. You could take this one step further by rewarding
employees in some way based on miles cycles, carbon emissions reduced or similar.
Making your workplace cyclist friendly doesn’t need to be overly complicated, but many of the ways to
do so are facilities based. Simply offering your employees peace of mind over the security of their bike
and a place to wash and change after their ride go a very long way in removing any barriers that they
may have for cycling to work.
If you’d like to go a step further than just facilities and internal marketing, we’d thoroughly recommend
pursuing a Cycle Friendly Employer certification
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