Bike Week & Beyond: Cycling Benefits for People & Business
It’s Bike Week in the UK, but the benefits of cycling stretch far beyond Bike Week. Cycling benefits the environment, saves money and reduces stress. These three themes are high on our agenda, as they are for many other UK businesses. In this blog, we’ll explore key cycling benefits for individuals and companies, alongside other wellbeing solutions that reduce stress at work and boost employee engagement.
In a hurry? Here are the top three things to take away from our Bike Week and cycle benefits blog.
1. Cycling benefits are good for business, not just employees: A Cycle to Work scheme can help reduce employer NIC costs, improve retention, support productivity and strengthen your EVP. It’s a practical benefit with measurable commercial upside.
2. Wellbeing benefits need to reduce stress and cost in everyday life: The strongest benefits are the ones employees actually use. Cycling helps reduce commuting stress, supports physical and mental wellbeing, and saves money, making it relevant to real day-to-day pressures.
3. One benefit alone isn’t enough. Inclusion and accessibility matter: Not every employee will be able or want to cycle, so HR should think more broadly about wellbeing. A strong strategy offers multiple accessible options, is easy to use, and removes friction so more people engage.
Got time to stick around? Let's dive a little deeper.
When discussing cycling benefits, bike-to-work schemes will undoubtedly come up, and we’ve covered this topic extensively in our blog, How Cycle to Work Schemes Work and Why They Matter.
What is Bike Week?
The Bike Week campaign celebrates cycling and all the benefits it brings. It aims to show you how to incorporate cycling into your daily life and make it a regular part of your routine. Whether you’re a cycling enthusiast interested in attending one of the campaigns' ‘Big Bike Brunch’, or haven’t ridden a bike in years, Bike Week is a great time to rekindle your love of cycling.
What is a bike scheme and how does it work?
Bike schemes, also known as Cycle to Work schemes and Cycle Benefits schemes, are a workplace perk that allows employees to repay the cost of their bike to their employer via a salary sacrifice arrangement.
Dive into our blog, How Cycle to Work Schemes Work and Why They Matter, for all you need to know.
What about an electric bike scheme?
Electric bike schemes, also known as e-bike schemes, form part of an overall Cycle Benefit Scheme, as they’re available to employees alongside a wide range of accessible bikes. When employers set up their bike scheme, they can set voucher limits. Electric bikes aren’t as expensive as you may think, and employees can get a great deal through the scheme.
Our cycle scheme partners, Halfords, joined us in our podcast, Cycle to Work, Cycle for Life: From Commute to Community, and one of the many topics discussed was scheme limits – or the maximum amount each employee can apply for. During the podcast, we discuss electric and accessible bikes, and that employers ought to raise scheme limits to a level that covers accessible bikes.
Bike scheme alternatives
Salary sacrifice schemes offer benefits to employees and employers, especially when you break down the tax and National Insurance savings. They're a win for all, but there may be times when salary sacrifice schemes aren’t an option.
Say an employee already has an electric car through a salary sacrifice scheme; they may not want to, or be eligible to, enrol. Another thing to consider is that if an employee pays into their pension via their salary, a salary sacrifice scheme will reduce their gross pay while making the repayments, thereby decreasing the amount they contribute to their pension.
Other factors preventing an employee from purchasing a new bike via salary sacrifice could be that the repayments might take their monthly pay below the National Minimum Wage, which isn’t allowed. It could be that an employer has set a scheme limit that won’t cover the bike an employee wants, or if the bike they’ve set their heart on isn’t available through the scheme.
The last point won’t happen often because there is an astronomical number of choices in the scheme, but if it does, it’s good to know there are other options.
SmartPay
Similar to cycle-to-work schemes, SmartPay enables employees to spread the cost of a new bike over monthly salary deductions. Unlike salary sacrifice schemes, there are no tax or NIC savings because employers process the salary deductions after calculating taxes.
Our SmartPay scheme is versatile and flexible, allowing you to set minimum and maximum voucher limits, as well as repayment windows ranging from six months onwards.
SmartPay helps employees avoid debt by providing an alternative to interest-charging credit cards. As a salary-deduction product rather than a salary-sacrifice scheme, SmartPay is more accessible to employees on lower salaries. Still, we ensure compliance with the National Minimum Wage, so all salary deductions are done fairly and legally.
When we start looking at the biking benefits your employees can enjoy, the list becomes quite extensive. In this blog, we’ll explore the core areas that impact your people and business.
Cycling benefits: employee savings
It’s cheaper to run a bike than a car – no fuel, no parking charges, tax or MOT. However, the most significant financial benefit of cycle benefit schemes is the tax and National Insurance (NIC) savings for both employees and employers when an employee uses their cycle-to-work scheme to purchase a new bicycle. In addition to savings on the retail price of a new bike, a cycle-to-work scheme offers employees savings of up to 42% on tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions.
Affordable bikes for every employee!
Cycling benefits: employer savings
We cover employer savings in our blog, Salary Sacrifice and Your Business Cost-Savings Strategy, where we also explore using NIC savings to fund other salary-stretching and cost-effective employee benefits.
If an employee on a salary of £34,963, which falls under the standard tax bracket, bought a new bike for £1,000 through our cycle benefit scheme, the employer would save £150 in NIC. If ten employees do this, it’s a £1,500 saving. The more expensive the bike, the higher the savings, and the potential grows with every employee who enrols.
Have we mentioned yet that our Cycle Benefit Scheme is *free to implement?
No set-up fees + bikes repaid in full through salary sacrifice = a cost-neutral employee benefit! The savings don’t just come from lower NIC. There are other ways to measure the return on investment.
A cycle benefit scheme improves employee wellbeing, loyalty and morale, and these generate tangible savings through:
- Enhanced productivity: Healthier employees are more productive and energised. Those who bike to work benefit from the endorphin buzz from the exercise, giving them sharper minds and more energy.
- Reduced absenteeism and presenteeism: Cycling is an inclusive form of exercise, especially when you factor in electric and accessible bikes. The healthier your employees are, the less likely they are to be absent or practice costly presenteeism.
- Better employee retention levels: The Cycle Benefit Scheme is a popular employee benefit that strengthens your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). When you give employees access to an affordable bike, it improves their lifestyle and happiness, and they’ll feel more loyal to your business. Loyal employees tend to stick around, which lowers your turnover rates.
- Higher employee engagement: Loyalty and happiness feed into how engaged your employees are with their work and your business. Engaged employees are more productive and innovative. Businesses with a highly engaged workforce are proven to be more profitable.
Reduce the impact of the Employer NIC increase and minimise avoidable overheads!
Cycling benefits: reduce carbon emissions
Employees are looking for companies with strong social values. New recruits will scrutinise your ESG and CSR policies before deciding whether to join your business. Once onboarded, they’ll hold you accountable, ensuring your commitment is authentic.
A Cycle to Work scheme supports your carbon emission reduction plan. You have to record how your employees travel to and from work. The more employees who cycle rather than drive, the more you can reduce your organisation's carbon footprint.
Discover more in our blog, Cycle to Work: The Socially Conscious Employer.
Cycling benefits: employee wellbeing
It’s easy to understand how cycling improves employees’ physical health – it gets them moving and active, helping them become fitter. This physical health boost is linked to their mental wellbeing because when people feel physically well, their emotional and mental health also improves. Physical activity helps us work through our stress, and the endorphins released flood our bodies with happy hormones.
Let’s dive further into health-related biking benefits:
1. Reduce stress at work
If you’re looking for stress-reducing workplace benefits, a bike-to-work scheme is a great place to start.
How much stress do employees build up during the morning commute? When they’re sitting in traffic, barely moving, getting angry at people who try to switch lanes at the last minute? Cycling on the roads requires care, but cycling lanes and routes make it much safer. Employees can use their cycling commute to work off the stress in their bodies and minds.
2. Get fitter
The more you move and push your body through cardio, the fitter you get, boosting stamina and physical resilience. When employees feel fitter, it improves other areas of their lives. Tackling a few flights of stairs up to the café will no longer leave them breathless. They’re more likely to embrace a fitness mindset and go out for a walk at lunch, helping them maintain balance.
4. Sleep better
Cycling improves sleep in many ways. Because it helps you leave the stress of the day behind, using movement to push it from your body, you’re less likely to be burdened by the events of the day when you go to sleep. Then there’s the physical activity. Your body has worked hard and is ready for a rest.
A good night’s sleep helps your employees face almost anything!
5. Make friends
Cycling is brilliant for our social wellbeing. Whether you specifically join a cycling group or engage with the faces you see on your daily commute, cycling is a brilliant way to make new friends and socialise. Friendships boost our emotional wellbeing, contributing to our state of mind and mental health.
6. Boost Endorphins
Exercising gives you an endorphin boost. Whether you take a steady pace or go for a sprint on the final leg, exercising produces endorphins – happy hormones that can make us feel invincible. Well, invincible may be a bit of an exaggeration, but when combined with a bowl of Weetabix…
OK, endorphins don’t create superheroes, but they will make your employees feel physically and mentally well, giving them the energy boost they need to enhance performance.
7. Improve heart health
Physical exercise improves our heart health, even if you’re not pushing yourself excessively. Consistent, and in some cases gentle, regular activity is what your body needs to be at its best.
Other forms of exercise can also help with this, so it’s essential to remember that biking is more accessible for employees with physical differences or challenges.
8. Vitamin D
Picture the scene: You’re sitting in the car on a warm day with the aircon keeping you cool. It feels nice, and the vision of getting home and catching the last few rays of sunshine in the garden keeps you going. Now, if you switched your car for your bike, you’d get to feel the sun on you all the way home and soak up a healthy dose of vitamin D.
9. Family time
The whole family can enjoy cycling, regardless of age or ability. You can strap babies and toddlers into a seat, attach a child’s bike to an adult’s or ride tandem with your partner. Cycle to the local park to help children gain confidence or go off-road on
10. Explore
When you’re driving a car, the scenery often passes you by in a blur. You might want to stop and take it in, but you’ve got to find a safe place to park first. That’s not the case when you’re on a bike. You can pull over, inhale the fresh air, perch next to a ravine or stop for a rest and a bit of peace.
Cycling holidays are very popular for all the reasons mentioned above, taking people off the beaten track and away from the hustle and bustle so they can take in the world at their own pace
Employee wellbeing ideas & solutions: Beyond the bike-to-work scheme
Cycling is great. We’ve established that, but that doesn’t mean it will be everyone’s favourite way to improve their wellbeing. There are other ways to make healthier lifestyles more affordable and accessible.
Gym discount schemes
Our Gym and Fitness Discounts provide employees with up to 25% off annual gym memberships. We partner with over 3,000 gyms, bootcamps, and online digital fitness platforms: there’s something for everyone, helping all employees save money on a healthier lifestyle.
Virtual GP & digital health
Our digital healthcare platform, Online GP, takes the stress out of seeking medical support, with same-day GP appointments available with a choice of clinicians. It’s a workplace benefit that puts accessible and inclusive medical support at your employees’ fingertips – a boost for their physical health and a significant reduction in health-related worries.
Employee Assistance Programme
Healthy mind, healthy body. You’ll be familiar with the phrase. We must reference our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) when discussing ways to reduce employee stress. Providing employees with a safe space to turn to 24/7, 365 days a year, crisis support at the touch of a button, and wellbeing tools at their fingertips is one of the most impactful ways to enhance employee health.
Workplace wellbeing: Bike Week & beyond with Pluxee UK
We’re pro-cycling. It brings financial, physical, and mental wellbeing benefits to your people and your business. It’s something employees can build into their daily routine and is good for the environment.
Embrace cycling benefits and other fitness-boosting solutions in your business to save money, drive engagement, boost retention and enhance employee wellbeing. The most effective wellbeing strategies focus on reducing financial pressure and improving daily habits, not just offering benefits, but making them useful and accessible.
Sustainable wellbeing… It’s the Pluxee Effect.
Employee wellbeing FAQs: cost, stress and workplace benefits explained
What are the most cost-effective employee wellbeing ideas?
The most cost-effective employee wellbeing ideas are those that reduce financial stress, encourage movement, and improve everyday habits without requiring significant investment. Examples include Cycle to Work schemes via salary sacrifice, gym discounts or flexible fitness options, walking meetings or activity breaks, and financial wellbeing support such as discounts and salary stretch.
How can employee wellbeing programmes save businesses money?
Employee wellbeing programmes reduce business costs by lowering absenteeism, improving engagement and productivity, and increasing retention, which results in lower recruitment costs.
How does physical activity reduce stress at work?
Physical activity reduces stress at work by releasing endorphins and breaking negative stress cycles, improving focus and mood, and creating separation between work and personal time.
How can employers help employees save money through benefits?
Employers can help employees save money by offering benefits that reduce everyday expenses and increase take-home value. Examples of this include salary sacrifice schemes such as cycling and tech, retail discounts and cashback schemes, subsidised fitness or wellbeing programmes and flexible commuting options.
Why don’t employees use workplace benefits?
Employees don’t use workplace benefits when they’re hard to access, poorly communicated, or don’t feel relevant to their daily lives. It can also be due to too many fragmented platforms, multiple logins, and complex processes, resulting in a poor user experience. Also, if the benefit isn’t relevant to the employee, then they won’t use it – no matter how easy it is to access.
Are cycling benefits suitable for all employees?
Cycling benefits are valuable, but they are not suitable for all employees due to location, ability, or personal preference. Hybrid workers are less likely to take advantage of these benefits as they likely spend more time working from home. Those with long commutes or accessibility needs are also unlikely to get involved. Ultimately, some people simply don’t like cycling – and that’s OK, and is why a broader wellbeing offering is essential.
What makes a successful workplace wellbeing strategy?
A successful workplace wellbeing strategy must be inclusive and offer multiple options that work for a variety of employees. They should be accessible, easy to use, and consistent – rather than one-off campaigns. And, from an HR perspective, they need to be measurable, with clear ROI and engagement tracking).
Notes:
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