Does your employer encourage cycling ?

Squaggles

Surely there must be some employers out there who actively try and encourage people to get out of their cars ? Or do you get the same reaction as from my employer which is always " Yeah , we'd love to provide facilities for cyclists , great idea , but unfortunately it's not in the budget "

no-mates

Free breakfast at my work tomorrow if you cycle to work. Better than nowt!

hugo15

Although they don't actively promote cycling I am lucky in that there is a bike shed, showers and I have a locker. I have been trying to get some more lockers installed near the showers as there are some going spare at a site we closed down but I may as well talk to myself. Did manage to get them to spend £2.99 on a new shower curtain last week to replace the grim one that was there. Result!!

hambones

I'm the only one out of a workforce of 72 who cycles to work. They applaud my effort but there are no facilities - i get changed into suit in the toilets!!!!

JoeSoap76

My employer encourages the belief that they encourage cycling... :?

ChrisLS

...my employer allows me to park my bike next to my desk... 8) ...I am the only person in the company who cycles to work...

Surf-Matt

Yep - my employer is a ltd company (PR) run by my wife and me!

will3

JoeSoap76 wrote:

My employer encourages the belief that they encourage cycling... :?

you must work at the same place as me...............

they say they encourage it, but other than a rather crowded bike shed and a cycle to work scheme that we finally got put in place, there's not much to show for it. They only say they encourage it coz the car park is too small.

mtbcommuter

Due to the nature of my work we need to have lockers, all of the locker rooms have showers, we have a small kitchen/dining room so breakfast isn't a problem (so long as you bring it in) and our building is surrounded by a secure wall/sliding gates/CCTV.
They are planning to introduce B2W via cyclescheme in June/July.

So I would say they encourage cycling

SmellTheGlove

Most people here drive (to me) amazing distances to work - well at least they must like their job!

But credit where it's due, the company does not go in for token "encouragement" of cycling. There is a shower room whose presence I, perhaps skeptically, put down to an earlier MD's efforts to ride in occasionally. And there are two or three of us at most who ride in so at least no shower congestion.

Clever Pun

yes I think they do, I helped get a cycle to work scheme going, they provide showers and secure parking

can't ask for more than that really

beverick

JoeSoap76 wrote:

My employer encourages the belief that they encourage cycling... :?

That sounds all too familiar to me.

By doing so It allows them to tick more than one box on the 'green employer' checklist whilst ignoring the fact that they've just committed to £385k per anum (on top of the £1.2m site fees) to provide 120 additional car parking spaces whilst the building manager's £2k business case for 36 additional lockers was refused because of cost constraints.

Bob

Surf-Matt

Beverick - really?!! That's appalling!

Are you really in East Timor too?

phil_ss1

Hi,

No cycle-2-work scheme but we do have changing, lockers, (semi) secure parking on a large site.

The cyclists got a free breakfast today!

And the Police were there handing out information on £11 datatags for our bikes as well as coding the frames for free today.

Is the world getting a better place.....

Phil

patchy

hambones wrote:

I'm the only one out of a workforce of 72 who cycles to work. They applaud my effort but there are no facilities - i get changed into suit in the toilets!!!!

Ditto. The HR manager is gettig sick of my incessant queries about cycle 2 work...

sazzledazzle

no-mates and phil_ss1 - I get a free brekkie tomorrow for cycling in as well...... I am guessing we probably work for the same company

Now if they would just provide changing rooms that are larger than broom cupboards I'd be super happy.

navt

My employer provides a bike rack in a secure basement car park and shower and changing facilities. They also offer C2W scheme, so I cannot complain too much. However, they could do more to promote cycling, especially since most people could cycle to work but don't.

mekonta

Don't know if it's summer or fuel prices but our (small) bike shed has been getting very full lately.

I think I'm the only office worker who rides, all other cyclists are from the warehouse - which means I get in after them so struggle to get my bike in the racks. I mentioned it to our facilities manager yesterday and asked for more space or at least a better designed rack so more bikes can go in the same space ... It's being 'looked into' ... will see what happens ;-)

Sue Wass

navt wrote:

My employer provides a bike rack in a secure basement car park and shower and changing facilities. They also offer C2W scheme, so I cannot complain too much. However, they could do more to promote cycling, especially since most people could cycle to work but don't.

I work for a local authority and live in the same town, so cycle to work every day I'm office based (which at the moment is every day!) and even on days I do visits if it's not too formal (as in must wear suit) I still cycle.
I get mileage for using my bike (28p/mile);
we have a lock up in the car park; in the main building there is a shower in one of the ladies loos (and I assume the same in the gents) but then this is to cover 3 very large floors;
I work in a different building and don't have the same facilities.

Our town is (apparently) quite renowned for being Cycle friendly. We have a good cycle network and you can get to most places without going on major roads.

We have a few bits and pieces going on and the local CTC rep is involved, sadly most of the events are planned for this weekend and I'm away!

graham_g

Other than a cycle to work scheme, it's just hypocritical lip-service. Nothing new you may think - but I work for an engineering consultancy in the 'integrated transport' team and we might even written the odd travel plan (or green travel plan if you prefer) for one of your companies!

robhowes

Just a thought. take a look at this: http://www.cycletoworknow.com/info/empl ... -employers

any financially astute employer ought to be considering C2W where else can they get this kind of return on their capital?

helz

There are 2,500 people working here and my office has ample secure parking, showers and changing facilities which is great. But they don't really do anything to actively encourage new cyclists.

Squaggles

Changing rooms ? Showers ? Secure cycle parking ? Free breakfast ? Ride to work Scheme ?

If only .

And there are at least 10 cyclists all year round and double that in the summer months .

Mithras

Yes and no....My company is offering a free breakfast one day this year if you use your bike to ge to work...although several car users have been very vocal in saying how unfair this is.
i have to ride my bike for work, they give me a nice speacilaised helmet and some gloves......and a very old CB Rock, not exactly perfect for covering 20-30 miles on a shift. But I get around this by buying my own uniform and run the risk of disciplinary action! :twisted:

dav1

Plenty of cycle parking where i work. Barriers have a cycle lane to allow easy passing without resorting to the path and once a week a mobile mechanic sets up a stool to fix peoples bikes whilst they work.

tuxpoo

I work in Greenpark Reading (Symantec).

Company wont offer C2W as they believe its not worth the benefits for the employee and they think no one would take it up anyway.
Ironic...
Recently the number of bikes are increasing dramatically.
We have 4 bike sheds. If you get in after 9, you have to put the bike in the gym as there is no room to padlock the bike. Serious cycle culture here!
The security guys are great! (some cycle in) They keep a keen eye on the sheds and if they see an unpadlocked bike they "confiscate" it to the reception and send email to the owner that they will get their bike nicked if they dont lock it.

Great showers.. cleaned daily (2 on each floor, 3 floors - 3 buildings + gym showers).

Just wish HR would look out the window and realize people are cycling.

Tux

palinurus

Covered (partly) and secure storage.

No showers (disabled crapper is very handy tho')

£1.00 / day for walking / cycling/ getting the bus or motorcycle.

Practically no-one cycles tho', three-four regulars out of 200-ish.

Not many get the bus either.

Beeblebrox

Am moving to an office that apparently does have showers - but I'm yet to inspect them. Has been a while since I went there but I do vaguely remember a partially covered bike rack a fair distance from the road - but not exactly fantastically secure.

Will have to report back at the end of next week when I've begun my new longer commute.

JMC39

Not really no, the company makes does have C2W, however the bike shed is distance from the building, and there are no facilities Getting changed in the toilet is as good as it gets - or alternatively as some people do - in one of the meeting rooms!

AMoy

Seems like I am lucky. I work on a large site with secure parking for bikes, showers and lockers.

ris

i'm lucky, my place (large architect's office) has a strong cycling culture.

we have a fairly secure bike shed and shower facilities, and take up is so strong in the summer that the place is heaving with bikes.

there is a big brompton fanbase, we have 2 for local office use (in place of taking taxis). the senior partners used to turn up to awards and events on their bromptons are well known for it now!