Well, gee wiz, this won’t cause the cost of goods and services to go up, right?
How climate change is beginning to be built into employee pay and benefits
More workers in today’s labor market want to take action on climate change in some way as part of their jobs, yet many encounter a major stumbling block: lack of understanding when it comes to their employer’s own commitment to the issue. So-called green perks, also referred to as climate change benefits, could help to bridge that gap. A rising, though still marginal trend in the job market, employee enticement and compensation packages tied to climate change can help to make these abstractions clearer and more actionable in the workplace. (snip)
But for most rank-and-file employees, benefit packages in recent decades have had essentially two main categories — health and retirement. Now there are indications that green benefit packages may become more common. One potential spearhead for the nascent movement is commuter benefits, particularly benefits that facilitate healthier, eco-friendly modes of transportation, allowing employers to facilitate and promote lifestyles that appeal to an increasingly environmentally-conscious workforce, while lowering the company’s own net carbon footprint. (snip)
Walmart has a stated a goal of having 10% of its workforce biking to work in Bentonville — but the goal has been difficult to reach, and has been pushed back from 2023 to 2025 when the corporate headquarters are set for completion. Still, similar to the challenges of wider adoption of electric vehicles, infrastructure plays a major role in getting employees on bikes, and Walmart has gone all-in on this in Bentonville.
Many other companies are trying to get their peasant workers to bike instead of drive.
Younger workers from the Gen Z demographic may be front-and-center when it comes to including social and environmental consciousness in corporate benefit programs, but Mangiardi said, “It’s important to note that employees of all generations support sustainability.”
But, will the companies be giving normal raises? The money isn’t free. Or, the companies can just charge more. Really, this whole thing is like a cult, forcing itself on every facet of life. Will the Gen Z folks realized they’ve joined a cult?
Lizzy Kolar, co-founder & CEO of Scope Zero, which offers a carbon savings account (CSA) as a method for distributing green perks to employees, likened it to a health savings account. “But for home technology and personal transportation upgrades that drive corporate ESG efforts,” she said. Stipends for commuter benefits, biking, and EV discounts, as well as work-from-home expenses, are key components to the program.
Employer financial contribution to each employee’s CSA and the discounts from its vendor marketplace significantly reduce the upfront costs of home tech and personal transportation upgrades, Kolar said. Providing a platform designed for this type of perk also allows for customized upgrade recommendations, direction of employees to top products and vendors, and identification of relevant utility and government rebates.
Cult.
