More and more organizations are discovering that the daily commute to work is more than just a trip to the office it’s a critical factor shaping the productivity and well-being of employees.
Picture this: you iron your clothes, shine your shoes, and pack your bag the day before, aiming to get to work early and with your drip intact.
At the bus stop, the struggle begins – waiting for a bus, finding one going your way, and one that also has N1000 naira change. You also have to deal with unexpected challenges like the strong smell of fish from the trader next to you. Guess who now smells like fish and is packed like one too at the back of that bus – YOU!
After all these things happen, and you spend 2 hours in traffic, you get to the office, and you still have to show up. You try your best to show up, but deep down you know that wasn’t your best, and that’s because you got to work in one of the most uncomfortable ways possible.
Think about it, you haven’t really been set up for success. A study by Betty Zhou, an assistant professor at the U’s Carlson School of Management, shows that stressful commutes lead to decreased focus and job performance.
Offering Transportation as an employee benefit has been shown to increase the retention rate in companies, and companies of all sizes have started to provide this benefit to their staff, while some haven’t.
Let’s see how Employee Transportation can affect productivity in the workplace in detail and throw some light on the issue.
The Work-Related Effect of Stressful Commutes
- Increased Absenteeism: Prolonged and stressful rides to work and back can take a toll on an employee’s health, leading to an increase in absenteeism.
- Decreased Employee Engagement: Stressful commutes can result in disengagement, affecting enthusiasm and commitment.
- Higher Turnover Rates: Employees could seek job opportunities closer to home or with more favourable commuting conditions, leading to talent attrition for the organisation.
- Reduced Job Satisfaction: Stressful journeys can overshadow the positive aspects of the job, impacting overall satisfaction.
- Impact on Company Culture: Transportation challenges can contribute to a negative company culture, affecting relationships among team members.
Ultimately, stressful commutes to and from work hurt productivity, especially top talents within an organisation. This was revealed in a study conducted by Harvard Business School – Commuting Hurts Productivity and Your Best Talent Suffers Most.
Benefits of Providing Employee Transportation
Onboarding an employee transportation service has significant benefits. Some of these include;
- Cost Savings: Shared transportation reduces individual commuting expenses, benefiting both employees and employers.
- Improved Punctuality: A reliable transportation service ensures employees arrive on time, reducing tardiness-related issues.
- Enhanced Retention: An effective transportation system enhances employee loyalty and reduces turnover rates.
- Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Having a ride to work and back is comfortable and stress-free invariably contributes to a healthier work-life balance for employees.
- Optimised Productivity: Reducing stress and fatigue leads to heightened focus and increased efficiency, contributing to sustained productivity throughout working hours.
Easing the Commuting Struggle with an Effective Employee Transport Solution
In contrast to commonly held beliefs, this research indicates that the duration of a commute has minimal impact on a worker’s well-being and job outcomes.
Instead, the results highlight that the quality of the commute emerges as the singular commuting aspect that distinctly shapes worker well-being. Businesses are now actively finding ways to make commuting less stressful for their teams, not just because employees want it, but because it makes good business sense.
What does an effective employee transportation solution offer?
- Optimised Routes: Using technology, transportation providers figure out the fastest way to get your employees to work. This not only saves time but also reduces the worry of unpredictable travel conditions.
- Centralised Dashboard: Through a centralised dashboard, the HR manager or transit manager should be able to view shuttle utilisation, track spending, and see when employees are onboard a shuttle per time.
- Customisable Options: An effective transportation solution should offer customisable commute options as one size doesn’t fit all organisations.
- Customer Service: They should also have a dedicated customer success team to support you and provide you with a best-in-class transport experience.
- User-friendly application: Whether it’s a web or app version that exists, an effective transport solution should offer a user-friendly experience for booking trips to and from work.
- Vehicle Tracking: With the added benefit of being able to track shuttles, employers can feel rest assured with their employee transport choice.
To address the challenges in this article and provide a comprehensive commuting solution, companies are turning to innovative services like Shuttlers.
Or one such company that offers all of these and more is Shuttlers. A leading technology company providing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation solutions to Nigerians.
Their focus is on transforming the long-standing stressful and inefficient transportation narrative into a productive, stress-free experience for individuals, professionals, and companies who want to move with purpose and comfort. With products like Shuttlers Business, Shuttlers Daily, Shuttlers Rental, and Shuttlers EventGo, they are eliminating the hassle that comes with transportation in Nigeria.