Hacienda Businesses are the Best Workplaces for Commuters

 
The Best Workplaces for Commuters campaign team and Hacienda Business Park are once again encouraging Hacienda employers to sign up for this important regional recognition. Here’s the best part: businesses in the park need do nothing more than signal their interest in order to receive the recognition provided by the campaign. That’s because Hacienda's comprehensive commute alternatives program covers all of the requirements for any Hacienda employer to automatically be awarded the “Bay Area Best Workplaces for Commuters” title. All you need to do is register at www.hacienda.org/resources/resources_transportation_bwfc.html or contact the Hacienda Owners Association’s office.

Alternatives to driving to work alone are important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they can save you time, money, and stress. In addition, they help relieve traffic congestion, protect the environment, and reduce wear and tear on your car. Because Hacienda believes that transportation alternatives are essential to meeting the needs of today’s workforce, it has formed one of the most comprehensive commute service programs available. For employers, this means that, simply by being a business in the park, your organization can automatically provide your employees the best in commute choices including: free use of transit, carshare resources, an emergency ride home, and a comprehensive library of commute information.

Having these services available for their employees allows an employer to distinguish itself as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters under a recently established federal program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation have promulgated a national standard of excellence under the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative. The initiative is a tool companies can use to highlight their support of commuting choices in the workplace. Companies recognized under the initiative are promoted as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters in a new regional recognition that commenced in 2002.

“The benefits to employers in the Bay Area are unique and incredibly valuable,” says Robin Snyder, national recruitment manager for the Best Workplaces for Commuters program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “The Bay Area is the very first place in the nation where the Best Workplaces for Commuters designation has been used. Being recognized as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters says you care about the quality of life in the community, air quality, and in reducing traffic congestion.” In addition, companies designated as one of the Bay Area’s Best Workplaces for Commuters have received free media coverage. Last year, companies who qualified for the program in the Bay Area were covered in 20 different newspaper articles and five different TV news broadcasts. To be recognized in the campaign that will occur in late October, employers need to enroll by August 29. You can use the easy online registration form noted above or contact the Hacienda Owners Association at (925) 734-6500 to enroll.