Working with colleagues: bicycle user groups
If you want to your workplace to make life better for cyclists, the best way is to set up a Bicycle User Group (BUG). A BUG aims to make sure that cyclists’ views are heard and will talk to management about what can be done to help.
The aim is to show your employer the benefits of cycling employees. Cyclists are healthy and are less prone to being off sick.
They also tend to suffer less from stress. Twelve cycles can be parked in the same space as one car and most companies and employers are keen to portray themselves as being environmentally friendly.
Before setting up a BUG, talk to management and then contact everyone who already cycles, to see if they will be interested.
What do they want most? These are often simple things, like secure stands to lock bikes or somewhere to dry wet clothes. Shower facilities are nice, but may be difficult to implement due to cost or space.
Whatever your cyclists decide on, the BUG can then put together a proposal for management, with some ideas of costs and the benefits that the improvements will bring.
Your employer may not have heard of schemes such as the Take A Stand scheme which offers companies the chance to apply for free cycle parking and match funding for facilities, or the Cycle to Work scheme which allows employees to buy a tax-free bike through their employer.
You might want to direct them to our info on ‘A guide for employers’, which includes information on both these initiatives. Follow the link below to view this information or to download it as a PDF.