With some businesses offering employees flexi-time and with Sunday
trading hours being extended during the Olympics, it’s easy for
employees to overlook something as simple as getting around during the
Games.
With this in mind Sally Gunnell, 400m hurdles Olympic gold medalist,
and Chris Boardman, Olympic cycling gold medal winner and world record
holder, challenged each other to find the easiest and quickest route
across London to the Olympic Park to encourage employees to think about
alternative modes of transport during the Games.
This race has been inspired by new research from London 2012 and
Transport for London (TfL), which suggests 86% of central London
businesses are planning one or more initiatives to encourage employees
to consider alternative forms of transport. Of this, 60% of businesses
will encourage their staff to walk or cycle.
And it’s not just London that will be affected, of course. With
Olympic and Paralympic events happening across Britain, public transport
elsewhere will be affected too.
As part of the London 2012 and TfL challenge, Sally ran and Chris
cycled from Liverpool Street Station to Stour Space, opposite the
Olympic Park on the River Lea. The aim was to demonstrate to businesses
and their employees the alternatives to getting public transport and
using the road network.
Sally Gunnell and Chris Boardman have produced some top tips to help
businesses encourage their employees to cycle and walk/run during the
Games.
- Make the most of the commute – encourage staff to walk down to the next bus stop or get off a stop early.
- Plan your business travel – if employees have a meeting that is a walkable distance, encourage them to walk instead of getting public transport or a taxi.
- Issue a pedometer to each employee – they can be a great way to get people thinking about how much walking they really do. Consider introducing a league table or online tracking system, so colleagues can compare their results against others.
- Start an employee running club – group running is good fun and can really help to motivate people to keep up their exercise routine.
- Motivate staff – a workforce that regularly walks, cycles or runs will be more fit and healthy.
- Plan journeys in advance – businesses should encourage employees that cycle to plan their journey to and from work in advance.
- Build a cycling or running community at work – it’s a great way of encouraging workplace relationships and increasing motivation.
- Hop on a Barclays Cycle Hire bike – If employees don’t have a bike, they’re a great way to get around in the heart of London.
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