Give cars a rest, many bosses say

Helping workers save fuel, money is one way to retain staff

Good walking shoes and a fast bike are the choices for many as they deal with rising gas prices.

But for some folks, those are just not options for getting to work or -- if they're in sales -- doing their jobs. Many companies are trying to help.

Most are using incentives -- telecommuting, gas card bonuses and the like -- rather than pay increases, according to a national survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. The most common tactic nationally, according to the survey, was to raise mileage reimbursement to the IRS maximum, 50.5 cents a mile. That fits with what we found with our informal survey of Triangle employers.

Smart commuting is not a new idea. Local businesses, especially in RTP, have encouraged carpooling, van-riding and telecommuting for years. State workers in outlying areas have long used TTA buses. But as prices rise, more companies are joining the effort, and more workers are making changes in their commutes. WakeMed, the University of North Carolina and other large employers are encouraging video and phone conferences.

Here's what some Triangle companies are doing:

Cisco Systems

In March, the telecom company created 36 VIP parking spaces for hybrid autos and cars that use biodiesel or ethanol. There are two spaces for plug-in hybrid electric cars. About 70 percent of the employees do some work from home.

Fleet Feet

The Carrboro footwear retailer reimburses employees the maximum 50.5 cents a mile allowed by the IRS and has cut the number of trips it asks franchisees to make to its corporate headquarters. And rather than asking employees to drive their own cars on business trips, it pays for a rental car and the gas for it.

"Maintenance is getting more expensive. Oil changes are getting more expensive. Tires are going to be more expensive, because they're petroleum," Chairman and CEO Tom Raynor said.

Progress Energy

Rental cars are also an answer for Progress Energy when it requires employees to go on business trips. It saves the Raleigh utility money, too.

A 200-mile business trip in a private car would cost Progress $101 to reimburse an employee for mileage. The same trip by rental car would cost about $80, spokesman Mike Hughes said.

Grubb & Ellis/Thomas Linderman Graham

The Raleigh real estate services company has changed its monthly incentive awards to offer more flexibility. In the past, it gave restaurant gift certificates. Now it hands out American Express gift cards, which can be spent on gas, said Elizabeth Raiford, the company's marketing director.

GlaxoSmithKline

The pharmaceutical company raised its mileage to match the federal rate. Other programs have been in place for years, including reimbursing the first $30 for workers who ride the bus.

IBM

This company doesn't need to see its employees: It has encouraged working from home since the 1980s, when a gallon of gas cost $1.25. Now more than 40 percent of staffers work virtually, spokesman John Buscemi said.

It began an Other Than Traditional Office program last year to explore ways to keep remote workers connected and productive. It gives priority parking to carpools and hybrid vehicles and encourages walking and biking.

Lenovo

In addition to the carpooling and work-from-home options popular with many technology companies, including Red Hat, Lenovo shuts its Morrisville headquarters on Friday afternoons during the summer -- lights and air conditioning off.

City of Raleigh

Employees who can are urged to telecommute; more than 100 of about 3,800 city workers do.

Those who use the city's fleet are asked not to let vehicles idle unnecessarily. Reimbursement is at the federal mileage level.

The city has brought in fuel-saving vehicles; it has 33 hybrids in its fleet of 2,039. An electric car is being tested. Employees also ride CAT buses for free.

Ammons Pittman GMAC Real Estate

Its 90 real estate agents, like agents at most other residential brokerages, work as independent contractors. That means they buy their own gas, and rising prices have reduced profits.

Responding to agents' concerns, the company is emphasizing the Internet with clients to help cut down on showing homes, general manager, Ross Rhudy said. "The agents were feeling the pain. ... Talk about using gas: Try showing a customer 15 houses," Rhudy said.

Colliers Pinkard

The Raleigh real estate services company is encouraging more carpooling for meetings.

There's more emphasis on efficient job scheduling for property managers, said David T. Finger, senior vice president and managing principal. A work-order system and dispatcher help find nearby property managers to minimize travel for certain service requests.