ways2work > Who does it > Halcrow
Halcrow
Organisational challenge/context
Halcrow’s purpose as a company is to “sustain and improve the quality of people’s lives”. This underpins how they conduct their business and deliver projects for their clients and is in line with their corporate sustainable development policy. Halcrow sees minimising the impact of their business and commuting travel as being part of their overall commitment to the community, along with other aspects of their corporate social responsibility activities. Their sustainability programmes are meeting the overall strategic approach for business. The company's work on commuting and sustainable travel has proven to support business, save costs and show expertise to gain business.
Intervention(s)
Over the past decade, Halcrow has offered the following incentives for sustainable travel:
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Interest free loans for season tickets and bicycles
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Flexi-time used by all staff
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Salary sacrifice for tax-efficient bicycle purchase
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Video-conferencing
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Home working
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Allowance for cycle travel on business.
Results/benefits
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A measured increase in active travel – with growth from 15% to 25% of staff using active travel in Glasgow between 2007 and 2009, and from 28% to 38% in Edinburgh between 2006 and 2009
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Reductions in CO2, congestion and pollution
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Reduced staff sickness - reduction in the average sick days per annum from 5.9 days in 2004 to 3.8 days in 2008
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Increased use of video conferencing, generating significant cost savings and environmental benefits
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Increased awareness by staff of sustainable travel
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Significant business savings as a result of increased sustainable travel - the benefit to cost ratio of implementing the Glasgow travel plan has been calculated as more than 16:1
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Strong evidence of their commitment to sustainable travel when tendering for projects.