FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Sodexo has increased the amount eligible employees can apply for in its Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme to £3,000 to help them buy a new bike, accessories and safety equipment tax-free.
As the weather improves, Sodexo is keen to encourage its employees to get on their bikes and boost their health and wellbeing by cycling to work.
Cycling to work not only provides regular exercise, it is often a faster, cheaper and greener way to travel.
Sodexo has been offering its employees a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme for a number of years and recently took the decision to enhance the benefit by increasing the allowance from £1,000 to £3,000 to encourage more to get on their bikes.
To date 1,888 applications have been made to the scheme. With the increased financial support, Sodexo hopes to see more of its people take up cycling.
For those who already own a bike the scheme can be used to purchase accessories and safety equipment only. They can also donate their bike to Sodexo’s provider which collects unwanted bikes to send to Africa to provide a lifeline to people living in rural communities, enabling them to travel to work, school and to carry goods to sell.
Mark Goodyer, HR director, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “The first day of spring is a great time to start thinking about cycling to work, as the weather starts to improve the flowers and trees start blooming and bird song increases. Not only is it good for your physical and mental health but it also reduces other costs such as public transport, fuel, parking as well as gym membership. Not to mention the time you’ll save from not having to wait for buses, trams or trains or rush hour traffic or roadworks.
“Cycling has minimal impact on the environment too so by encouraging as many people as we can to get on their bikes, we will be helping to protect our planet from harmful emissions.”
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
