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J&B Importers pays their employees to bike to work
by Tim GrahlJ&B Importers reimburses their employees $4 for every day they take a sustainable form of transportation to and from work. Here’s the a local news story talking about their program:
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That was actually a well put together news story. It did a good job of making bike commuting seem normal and accessible to everyone, without making it sound fringe or extreme, like alot of reports do. Seemed like they did a good job of explaining the legal side of things too.
When my dad used to bike commute to the Cupertino campus of Apple Computer back in the 90s, they gave him $1 day. Not much financial gain, but still a perk. $4 would definitely add up quicker.
I think Gary in the video makes a good point… it’s not just making $4 a day, it’s what you’re saving in gas to. At his 40 mile roundtrip he’s prob saving at least $8/day so he’s actually making $12 every day he commutes by bike. Not to shabby.
I think this is a great idea. Well done to J&B Importers.
It would be interesting to compare the cost of incentivising your employees vs all the infrastructure required to support cars (e.g. company car parks).
I would just like to know where *MY* tax break is. My co-workers who drive to work can pay for their monthly parking pass with pre-tax dollars. My co-workers who take the bus or T can also pay for the pass with pre-tax dollars.
Me, I buy a commuter bike and not only do I have to use post-tax dollars to pay for it, but I have to pay state sales tax too! I think a good start would be bicycles under $1000 are state sales tax free. Wouldn’t help me now since I’m not buying a bike anytime soon, but then there would at least be SOMETHING for commuters.
A 40 mile round-trip saves $20-30, not $8, once you factor in wear and tear on all moving parts and mileage depreciation.
Derek — great point. Buying bikes pretax would be sweet — and actually not that crazy, considering we’re paying for lanes we don’t use in our taxes.
Actually, if you have a flexible spending account (a preset sum you set aside for health care costs, pretax) and your doctor will write you a Letter of Medical Necessity, you can buy a bike using pre-tax dollars. I bought a Breezer Uptown 8 with my flexi money.
DDK: Yeah I was being extremely conservative in my numbers.
Shanyn: Can you send me an email at diggers@commutebybike.com?
This is pretty cool! I wonder if I can get my firm to do this. I’ll be sending upper management a link to this on Tuesday.
While it’s great to say that bicycles have to follow the rules of the road, it would be nice to have the other side of it- and motor vehicles need to yield to cyclists as they would any other vehicle. It’s not a one-way street of responsibility.
Gary Mendenhall, I knew you guys had the Cykels. You’re hiding them, you dirty dawgs!!! JK, way to go, guys.
sounds like a great program. i’ve been wanting to see us do a bit more organizing on the corporate front – come up with some kind of program to help companies start shifting their employees to bicycle commuting. maybe figure out a way that it saves them money somehow – maybe through health insurance premiums?? or parking? or admin fees? or something….
thanks for sharing it guys.
have cross posted it on our biking blog – http://blog.bumsonthesaddle.com/
We are trying to get companies in India to be more biker friendly. On our way
Keep up the good work. We are regular readers of Commutebybike
Nice article guys.
Have cross posted it on our biking blog –
http://blog.bumsonthesaddle.com/
We are trying to make companies in India more biker friendly. On our way.
That’s a great incentive to enthuse people to do their bit, but getting companies to do such a thing, here in the UK, would, I believe be a problem, here we tend to think the government should do it all.
My employer pays $2 per day when one bikes to work. The only ‘catch’ is that those are pre-tax dollars; after tax it is about $1.20 per day. Still good considering the opportunity cost of not spending on gas and the car depreciation.