Some firms help workers cope with gas prices

Employers are taking steps to help workers save money on commuting as gas prices climb.

Some are adding programs that encourage employees to save gas money, turning commuting benefits such as car pools into a valuable perk. Others are reaching out to remind workers of programs that are already in place.

About 14 percent of employers offer transit subsidies and 5 percent offer car-pooling subsidies, according to a 2005 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that about 12 percent of employees carpool to work, and 5 percent take public transportation. Americans on average spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, according to a March 2005 analysis. That means the average daily commute to work lasted about 24.3 minutes in 2003.

What some employers are doing:

• Lewis, a global public relations firm, is moving its suburban Newton, Mass., office to Boston so that employees won't have as far to commute.

"We want it to be easier for employees to come to the office, especially with the added cost of fuel," says Steve Capoccia, the office's general manager. "Everyone drives to work in separate cars."

• American Honda Motor is planning a gas-card raffle and social event over lunch for employees who want to meet others interested in carpooling.

Honda is also reminding employees at its Torrance, Calif., headquarters about programs to curb gas costs, including cash incentives for using public transit and reserved parking areas near the building for car-poolers. The cash incentive is based on how many days an employee car pools or how many people are in the car pool.

"I'm getting more people asking for ZIP codes to find fellow commuters who live in their neighborhoods," says Eileen Perez, a relocation manager at Honda.

• The National Aquarium in Baltimore installed a bike rack last month to encourage employees to stop using their cars. They also provide cash incentives for employees who carpool, ride public transit or bike to work. Their program has seen a rise in participation as pump prices have climbed this summer. Ninety employees today carpool, use mass transit or bike, up from 70 workers at the start of the year. The aquarium has about 300 workers.

• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in July doubled the monthly subsidy it offers employees who participate in a van-pool program to $60 a month from $30.