Employee travel needs vary enormously. Each role has unique requirements, and these differ depending on where colleagues, customers and projects are based, where employees live and their commitments outside of work. All these factors impact employee journeys and are subject to change at short notice as businesses grow and evolve. 

In addition to who needs to get where and how, there are personal preferences and capabilities to consider, as well as how the policy aligns business objectives with personal priorities to encourage alignment and compliance.  

Otherwise, employees may default to more convenient options such as grey fleet which may seem better suited to their personal, varied and fluctuating needs, but which may not fit with business goals and objectives.   

As we see business travel increase with the return to work after the holiday season, we are having conversations with business customers about checking how travel policies can accommodate this range of requirements in a way that is equitable and fair.

Here are seven considerations that may help to ensure your travel policy meets the needs of every employee and the organisation as a whole: 

  • How do your business objectives intersect with the travel policy? Emissions, costs, risk, talent retention, business expansion or strategic realignment all feed into it. If one department is growing exponentially, and one is restructuring, you need a policy that can flex alongside these changes. 
  • Right vehicle, right place, right time: Spend some time figuring out this provision. One-size fits all might not provide the best fit for everyone. A nuanced approach that puts choice in the hands of the end user, enabling them to access the right vehicle or travel mode for that particular journey on that specific day, creates a better employee experience, reduces risks and emissions and makes grey fleet less attractive. 
  • Assess EV capabilities: EVs work best as a business transportation option among employees who are comfortable with how they work and can easily charge overnight at home. EVs as car club vehicles are a great option if they are close to where people either live, work or travel to. Training and introductory sessions can be a good way to transition more employees to drive EVs alongside fuel-efficient ICE vehicles as part of a dedicated onsite employee car club or other vehicle provision. 
  • Implementation is crucial: Changing behaviours requires education, awareness-raising, support and energy, so a thorough implementation plan is vital if your policy is to be effective. Talk to your mobility partner about how to communicate with employees to ensure travel behaviour is well-managed. 
  • Location, location, location: Consider the individual needs of people living in rural, suburban and urban areas – their transport options are vastly different, so the policy needs to work for people living in all kinds of locations. Transport options in urban areas can help employees access public transport and car clubs. Check for local rental options, increasingly available even in more rural locations.  
  • Consider micromobility and active travel: Can you support employees to walk, bike, and scoot as part of their business journeys? As well as being zero-emission, there are physical and mental wellbeing benefits of incorporating activity into a journey. 
  • Engage every department to understand roles and requirements: An effective travel policy must be overarching, understanding all parts of the business from the ground up.  Understand how geography, work patterns, and what people need to fulfil their role and do their job really well, are impacted by mobility. 

Employee mobility is an engine of working life. To make it run smoothly requires a holistic view of a vast array of moving parts to ensure employee and business needs are aligned and regular reviews to ensure it’s still meeting everyone’s needs. 

Andy Bland is head of business rental development UK and Ireland for Enterprise Mobility