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Want to Encourage Employees to Cycle? Offer Them an Electric Bike Subscription

18/12/2024

While the past two years saw claims of bicycle and parts shortages, there now seems to be a surplus. High fuel costs and attention to health and wellbeing are guiding people towards cycling. However, employees are increasingly choosing higher-end and better quality lease bikes. Joep Kempen, CEO of Cyclis Bike Lease, looks back at 2022 through his cycling lens and gives us a glimpse into the near future of bike leasing.

Benefits of Cycling to Work

Simply offering an electric bike subscription without context would be counterproductive. You first want to understand the benefits and how to encourage employees to cycle to work.

The COVID period has contributed to the increase in bicycle traffic. Commuting by bike has increased by as much as 17%. This applies particularly to short work commutes. There are 3 reasons for this:

1. Improved Health

Employees are choosing bikes more often because the activity promotes physical and mental wellbeing. But how healthy is cycling? It reduces stress, stimulates blood circulation, and gives you more energy for a productive workday. And there are many more health benefits of cycling!

2. Positive Environmental Impact

Cycling to work has a positive effect on the environment. By reducing car use, you contribute to reducing air pollution. This lowers emissions per passenger kilometer compared to cars, scooters, or public transport. Moreover, you reduce noise pollution, creating a safer and more pleasant living environment. Choosing to cycle instead of driving helps reduce our ecological footprint, as cycling doesn’t require fossil fuels for energy – cycling is therefore good for the environment.

3. The Joy of Cycling

Employees also indicate that cycling to and from work brings them joy. You can get some fresh air, bypass traffic jams, and enjoy the outdoors. This has a positive effect on your health. Think about the production of serotonin (the happiness hormone) and the reduction of mental fatigue.

Electric Bike Subscription

The main reasons for not choosing to cycle are bad weather and distance to work. Employers can still encourage cycling by providing good bicycle parking and offering a cycling allowance. One in three cycling employees considers this important in their choice to cycle.

To encourage (long) bike rides, employers can offer electric bikes through a bike lease plan. This provides tax benefits for employees compared to purchasing an electric bike themselves. This way, employees can more easily enjoy the many health and environmental benefits of sustainable cycling, while employers benefit from fit and productive employees.

How Does a Bike Lease Plan Work?

With a lease bike through the employer, employees can use a bike of their choice for a fixed monthly fee. They have the freedom to choose a bike that suits their needs. For example, a new e-bike, speed pedelec, or cargo bike. This fixed amount includes maintenance costs. Maintenance and repairs are done at the local bike shop. Additionally, employees are comprehensively insured and receive quick assistance for flat tires throughout Europe.

Cyclis also offers the My.Cyclis tool, where employers can easily view their bike fleet, and employees have insight into their lease bike and associated services. At the end of the agreed lease period, employees can keep the bike or get a new one, depending on the agreement with the bike rental provider.

Tips to Promote the Program within your Company

Promoting a bike lease plan within your company is one of the most effective ways to encourage employees to be more active and lead a healthier lifestyle. Research shows it increases employee productivity and health. You can promote bike leasing with these 3 tips:

Inform about tax benefits

 

For you as an employer, a bike lease plan has the advantage of healthy and productive employees who experience less stress. But to promote the lease plan among employees, you can inform them about the tax benefits – in addition to the health and environmental benefits. Examples include:

  • Implement a tax-free mileage allowance for cycling employees
  • 7% additional tax for private use of company bikes
  • Offer a company bike for business visits
  • Save up to 70 euros per month on car costs
  • Up to 40% net tax benefit compared to private purchase
  • Insurance included
  • Fixed monthly fee

Organize cycling campaigns

 

Cycling campaigns make employees enthusiastic about cycling to work more often. This can be done in various ways. Consider monthly bike check clinics with cycling safety instructions, club rides and bike tours to explore the area, or even discounts for cycling-themed movies that can bring friends together for a good time.

Employees should also be informed about bicycle maintenance resources, bike-friendly routes to work, and updates about bike rental or sharing programs in the area. All these useful tips will contribute to a successful bike lease plan within any company.

Start a kick-off event

 

Organize a kick-off event where you inform all interested employees about the possibilities and benefits of a bike lease plan. During this event, you also discuss how the lease works exactly and what employees can do if they want to use the lease plan.

This event can be organized by Cyclis. We inform the company and employees through webinars, information brochures, and presentations about the benefits of bike leasing through the employer for both parties.

For employers, an electric bike subscription also offers financial benefits. For example:

When 10 employees switch from car to bike for 3 days, on a 20-minute one-way journey (= 6 trips in total) to and from work. This is estimated to result in annual savings for the employer of €18,654 due to employees having less stress, being more productive, and having less sick leave.

This is shown in a study by bureau Decisio.

Offer an Electric Bike Subscription

Not only is cycling a better option for the environment, but it’s also good for your employees’ physical health. With a subscription service for new electric bikes like this, employers have flexibility in managing their subscriptions and get accessible options regarding bikes and maintenance.

Want to provide your employees with an advantageous bike lease plan? Cyclis offers an administration-free subscription for a fixed monthly fee for both employees and employers. Want to know more about leasing an electric bike? Request the free demo.

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Bicycle leasing is a popular fringe benefit for employers and employees alike.

Read all the benefits of offering bike leasing as an employer here.