The mobility budget has proved an ideal solution for colleagues who like to cycle, prefer public transport whether or not in combination with a scooter or bicycle, or for colleagues who do not (yet) have a driver's license. Many employees still prefer to use a company car for various reasons (e.g. a young family with children), which is of course not a problem: after all, it is the employee who decides how he or she wants to travel to and from work. Changing taxation, rising prices and differing expectations mean that, as an employer, we want to offer our employees the necessary flexibility and options.
Rob Hanusa, an employee of Trevalco, decided to go for the mobility budget.
Trevalco asked him how this is going, and how he organizes his commutes?
On the days I go to the office, I take the train and my folding bike. I’m fortunate to live near to a station, and once I get to my destination it’s an 8km bike ride to the office. Most of the ride is on a bike path along a canal, so it’s normally quite enjoyable.
I live in a city where having a car would not be particularly convenient. I already feel well connected by public transit, and I don’t have my own parking space anyway. Additionally, commuting to the office in traffic with a car wouldn’t be much quicker than my current train + bike commute. I also enjoy the extra bit of exercise I get with the bike.
The mobility budget works fantastically for me because of my living and commuting situations, so it’s hard to think of anything that needs to be improved. The financial benefits are great and I don’t feel I sacrifice much by not having a car. However, I realize that others may be in different circumstances that make biking and public transportation less practical. Nevertheless, I would suggest to anyone who can to try commuting by bike and public transit. For six years in my early career I was a daily car commuter, and I much prefer my current commute!
The mobility budget can be used for so much—not only public transit, but also car rentals and bike gear (and in some cases, your monthly rent!) The broad scope makes it quite easy to use. And if you don’t use the whole budget, any remaining part is paid back to you at the end of the year, albeit after some taxes. Considering that train passes are relatively cheap compared to a car, the remaining budget can add up to quite a sum!
The mobility budget has proved an ideal solution for colleagues who like to cycle, prefer public transport whether or not in combination with a scooter or bicycle, or for colleagues who do not (yet) have a driver's license.
At LynxCare, we introduced the mobility budget because it optimised our total remuneration package for our employees in a fiscal-friendly way. On top of that, we can now also attract talented people who want to reduce their personal ecological footprint.
I live in Brussels and didn't use my company car a lot so I switched to a mobility budget. I won a lot on mobility options and can now even pay my apartment rent with the mobility budget.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 100% of our employees worked from home. It became clear to us that we needed to start looking into more flexible mobility options. To create a flexible mobility plan that fits the needs of every employee. That’s when we contacted Mbrella.
