Why Your Business Needs to Consider Cycle Schemes

Regular cycling is one of the best forms of exercise available.  It is low-impact, meaning it’s easy on the joints, and it’s also a great way to burn calories. Someone who weighs 175 pounds can burn around 650 calories with an hour’s riding.  It’s little wonder then that a rising number of people are switching onto the benefits of getting around on two wheels, and it’s not just individuals who are realizing the potential of this form of transport; companies are increasingly offering cycle to work schemes for their personnel.

There are a range of financial incentives that firms can implement to encourage their employees to ditch four wheels in favor of two, and as specialist shelter provider CAD Shelters points out, it also helps to provide personnel with secure storage sheds where they can keep their bikes during the working day.

If your company isn’t already running a cycle scheme, now could be the time to take action and put this right.  Here are just a few of the reasons why it makes great business sense to run these initiatives.

Creating more productive workers

First and foremost, healthy workers tend to be more productive.  They have higher levels of energy and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time as a result of illness.

Providing an example of how healthy workers can lead to better business outcomes, the CDC noted that obese employees have higher levels of absenteeism due to illness than their normal weight colleagues.  According to figures cited by the organization, while normal weight men miss an average of three days a year because of sickness or injury, overweight and obese men miss approximately five days.  This is an increase of over 50 percent.  Meanwhile, the difference between normal weight and obese women is even greater. Female workers with a BMI of 40 or higher miss an average of 141 percent more days due to illness and injury than their normal weight counterparts.

Giving your recruitment and retention efforts a boost

Running a cycle scheme can also help to boost morale in your workplace.  Fitter employees tend to be better able to deal with stress, making for a better working environment.  Also, by operating these initiatives, you help to show your personnel that you care for their wellbeing.  Both of these factors can make recruiting and retaining the best staff members that little bit easier.

Demonstrating your green credentials

Another major advantage concerns your green credentials. Increasingly, consumer are voting with their wallets when it comes to issues of environmental sustainability.  Firms that demonstrate a responsible approach towards natural resources and carbon emissions stand a better chance of wooing customers.  By operating a cycle scheme, you can show that you’re serious about doing your bit for the planet.

Given the myriad advantages of these initiatives, why not give them a go and encourage your workers to get on their bikes?