Yorkshire-based manufacturing business Spooner Industries introduced a new travel initiative to support the health of its employees travelling to work.
With over 95% of its employees working at the business not being able to fulfil their work responsibilities from home, in May 2020 the business partnered with transport provider, Transport2, to hire a shuttle service for its employees, paid for by the employer.
Caroline Mould, group HR business partner at Spooner Industries, says: "We knew that our employees were concerned with travelling to work during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, offering up this service helped them feel safe as well as reducing the risk of infection onto others. "
Through this new benefit, which ran through to the end of September 2020, employees saved on average 88 miles per shared journey, as well as a 32% reduction of CO2 emissions. Throughout this journey, employees and drivers were given safety equipment, including face masks and hand gel.
Employees were provided with vehicles that ensured acceptable ventilation as well as social distancing requirements during the journey. As further restrictions limit the manoeuvrability of those in regions of the UK, Spooner Industries may look to extend this benefit through to next year to ensure that its workforce feel safe to enter the workplace regularly.
Mould says: “Our people have been extremely impressed with the quality, flexibility and reliability of service provided to our workforce so far. During the scheme, the safety of all our employees that have been unable to work from home throughout the pandemic, has been secured for an affordable price.
"Employees felt secure in this mode of transport throughout the four months that this service was offered. Consequently, we will continue to find ways of offering our people an effective and safe mode of transport at an affordable price as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on how and where we work."