Gaining senior management support
This toolkit provides a list of reasons you can pitch to senior management on why your organisation should promote sustainable travel. You may wish to tailor this information to your organisation and emphasise the most important points. For example, if there are issues with car parking at your site, this could be the trigger that convinces management to buy into promoting sustainable travel.
Why promote sustainable travel to senior management?
Gaining the support of senior management can be crucial in promoting sustainable travel in your workplace. This is because senior management can:
- Lead the way by travelling by sustainable travel
- Allow budget and staff allocations for travel plan measures and initiatives to be delivered
- Make appropriate changes for company policy and conditions of work
Promoting sustainable travel to senior management
Reducing the number of employees driving by themselves for business and commuting travel can result in a range of benefits for organisations:
It saves money
- Reduced travel expenses: reducing business mileage can generate large savings. Initiatives such as implementing teleconferencing facilities, using car club vehicles and replacing shorter car journeys with walking and cycling can cut costs significantly
- Less sick days and improved staff morale: studies have demonstrated that active travel reduces the amount of sick days staff take as a result of improved health. This will save your business money by increasing staff productivity
Increased productivity
- Better productivity: this introduces more exercise into an employee’s commute, which can help with their productivity and alertness
- Reduces stress: Using public transport, cycling, or walking to work can reduce the stress caused by being stuck in traffic, as well as allowing staff to spend more time outside before the working day
Improves operational efficiency
- Reduces car park congestion: Encouraging people to use alternative methods of transport, or encouraging more staff to car share, will reduce the use of car parking
- Improves access to your site for both staff and visitors: Freeing up car park space, as well as accommodating other modes of transport such as having bicycle parking, can help with access
Increased Retention
- Offering a range of sustainable methods of travel can help staff retention by opening up alternative commuting options. Staff turnover can cost between 16 – 21% of the employee’s annual salary
- Happier, healthier staff who feel supported by their employer are more satisfied and less likely to find a new job
- Show your staff that you care about their wellbeing and happiness
Corporate responsibility and sustainability
- Provides a boost to the image of your organisation and can assist in achieving environment and sustainability accreditation
- Being a good neighbour – reducing congestion and parking issues within your local community can lead to better relations with community stakeholders
- Being a good corporate citizen in helping to address sustainability issues such as climate change and air pollution
Further information and support
Want to encourage smarter travel to work at your workplace? Devon County Council can offer support* to organisations who want to enable their staff to travel more sustainably and actively. Please get in touch via traveldevon@devon.gov.uk for more information.
*Support offered will depend on availability of funding and engagement and commitment of your workplace.
This page was last updated March 2021.