Improving employee morale through shared transportation services

It goes without saying that a company’s best asset is its employees. When businesses properly manage their employees, they not only get to thrive because of great talent, but they also get to save on possible turnover costs.

The Society for Human Resource Management reported that companies spend six to nine months’ worth of an employee’s salary to replace him or her.

Because of this heavy cost, on top of other corporate expenses, companies are developing efforts for employee retention. One of the ways that employers try to resolve poor retention is by providing or improving their existing package of benefits for their employees, from healthcare insurance to employee discounts.

Some companies also provide their employees with commuter assistance such as transportation allowance and company shuttles. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency actually discussed  in a study that employers that minimize the stress and expense of commuting attract employees more. In fact, 86% of American workers expressed that commuter benefits are beneficial and useful. PeopleKeep, a developer of personalized benefits automation software for employers, also noted that having transportation assistance is one of the many benefits that has the best effect on employee retention.

It goes without saying that owning a private vehicle is a privilege not many can afford. Therefore, public transportation is the only viable way for others to travel and reach their workplaces. However, commuting can be quite expensive and time consuming, especially in cities with bustling business districts that experience heavy traffic on the daily. The Philippines, for example, is infamously known for its traffic.

Location technology provider TomTom can attest to how horrendous the traffic is in Metro Manila, reporting that commuters in Metro Manila on average lost a total of 257 hours or 10 days and 17 hours in their commute during rush hour in 2019.

Because of Manila’s horrific traffic situation, Filipino employees would sometimes consider leaving their jobs because it is no longer worth the time and effort to endure so much stress on the road—the time that they could otherwise spend with their families and loved ones is now spent stuck in traffic, which is unproductive and exhausting. To resolve this problem, most employees would either look for a company closer to their home or work remotely from the office. This has made transportation assistance from employers more important than ever.

In the Philippines, Resorts World Manila and Reuters Philippines have company shuttles for their employees. Large corporations worldwide—such as Amazon, Cognizant, and Siemens are also encouraging their employees to carpool, ride their bikes, and use ride sharing apps to commute to work.

We at SWAT Mobility are also trying to create a positive impact in our target markets, which includes the Philippines. We provide smart mobility services for companies, transport operators, and government agencies in Asia. Staying true to our motto—we move people—we ensure that employers improve work commute for their employees.

We provide our clients the technology that would help their employees book rides on demand through our passenger apps, plan routes in minutes, navigate drivers to close-to-home pick-up points, and track vehicles in real time. In this way, employers are able to increase their fleet efficiency, as well as automate their previously manual process of managing corporate shuttles. On another hand, our technology and other services act as benefits to our clients’ employees, eliminating the need for them to wait endlessly and crowd themselves in public transportation vehicles. They also get to have a direct ride to work with a guaranteed seat, resulting in a well-rested employee as they don’t have to wake up early to commute anymore.

In the past few months, we helped medical frontliners working at the Philippine General Hospital travel to and from work comfortably. Some of the healthcare workers who benefitted from the service voiced their positive experience with our SWATBiz app, saying that it made them feel safe and like they have their own vehicle in the palm of their hand

In the Philippines today, most regions are still under lockdown, prompting the government to suspend public transportation systems again to prevent the spread of the virus. Because of this, many commuters, especially essential workers, are prevented from going to work again. This roadblock highlights the importance of companies having corporate fleets. When managed through technology, employee transportation services can further enhance business operations and provide a safer measure for employees to travel to work if they’re required to do so.

Needless to say, investing in employees is a great way for companies to maintain a good employee retention rate. Data shows that one of the reasons why most employees quit their jobs is due to insufficient pay and benefits. In today’s declining economic setting, employees will now seek benefits that can lessen financial burdens in life. By understanding and addressing these problems, employers can boost their reputation as good organizations to work for.

With many businesses exploring the wonders of advanced employee transportation and smart mobility, it’s only appropriate and timely for others to keep up as well.