Bradley Wiggins may not be competing the in Tour de France this year but even with the loss of one of the sporting heroes of 2012, strength and depth in Team Sky means we should still be in with a shout of a British winner this year.

A few years ago there aren’t many who would have predicted our dominance in cycling both on the world tours and in the vélodrôme.

Equally, for employers, few would have predicted that cycle-to-work schemes would quietly become one of the most universally provided transport benefits by employers – second only to on-site parking and as commonly provided as a car allowance.

Whether you are one of the 43% of employers don’t offer a cycle-to-work scheme or have a scheme in place already here are five reasons I think your organisation should be promoting one this summer:

1                     Your employees want one:  A sponsored analysis of the Gross Cycling Product from Sky and the LSE last year suggested that there were 1.3m new cyclists in the UK in 2010 – it’s a growth pursuit both for leisure and commuting.

2                     It promotes wellbeing: The same study from Sky showed cyclists and people who bike to work save their company money in the form of fewer sick days. They suggest that more cyclists in your workforce increases output by indirectly reducing absenteeism. That has to be a good thing.

3                     It cuts commuting times:  Less time on a train or in a car means more time doing things you enjoy whether that is work or play. At an average urban speed of 15 miles an hour, bike beats car for speed and convenience for many typical commutes.

4                     It’s free to implement: Benefits budgets may be squeezed but these schemes operate through a salary sacrifice arrangement and, aside from some small admin on your side, come at zero cost to employers.

5                     They save employees money: Each employee will typically save 42% on the cost of a bike through a cycle-to-work scheme making it easier to invest in something which really helps health and wellbeing.

With the sun shining and what seems to be a new national sport set to dominate the headlines when the Tour de France starts on June 29, implementing a cycle to work scheme offers a unique opportunity to show you are thinking about your employees health and wellbeing while offering a genuine benefit.

Andy Philpott is sales and marketing director at Edenred – you can access more insights on our knowledge hub –  www.edenred.co.uk/ehub/ 

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