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A Rough Start to Your Morning Can Equal a Bad Workday

Wendy Duren
Wendy Duren October 25, 2016 Wendy Duren is the Program Director for Arlington Transportation Partners. She provides direction and guidance for ATP's Employer, Multifamily, Commercial, Hotel and TDM for Site Plans teams. She is excited about how mobility programs and services positively impact communities.
ATP TAKEAWAY: As an employer, you have an influence on your employee's mental and physical health which directly ties into productivity and your company's talent retention.

I’m a fan of the Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day. There are many things in my inbox waiting for me when I first log onto my email but I always read the tip first. Today’s was Help Your Employees Shake a Bad Mood.

It cited an article by Nancy Rothbard from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which asks if you ever think about what happens to your employees before they get to work. As a program manager, I’m responsible for all aspects of the program but my team always come first.

EmployeeBikingandWalking.jpg

 

If I’ve learned anything as a manager of people it’s that it is my responsibility to think about how my team’s lives outside of the office affect their work lives. This includes how they get to work.

How people commute and the associated physical/mental health implications have been researched and written about. Whether someone is driving, taking transit, or has a 100% active commute like biking and walking - their commute can affect their job satisfcation and happiness.

Thinking of the Bottom Line

As an employer, there are a myriad of options available that can positively affect your financial bottom line by providing benefits on a pre-tax basis for employees who take bus, Metro, train, or even vanpool. If you aren’t including people who bike or walk to work in your transportation benefits programs you are potentially missing out on retaining your healthiest employees who could help lower your company’s health care premiums.

Of course, there will always be days that are really difficult to reset from a less than desirable start. It’s important to remember we are all in control of our own attitudes. As an employer, we can influence our employees’ commutes and their mental and physical health.

Take the First Step

If you don’t know where to start or are looking for some ways to breathe some fresh air into your commute or wellness programs, download our Commuter Benefits guide. It's an overview of all the types of initiatives and benefits you can provide for your employees to ensure their commute works for them.

Download the commuter benefits guide now

Photo Credit: Sam Kittner/Kittner.com for Arlington Transportation Partners

Tags: Behavior, Benefits, Commute, Employer

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