Employers Ease Pinch at the Pump

May 20, 2008 — -- Joe Cockrell doesn't like his hour-long commute to work. He loves it.

"I actually just kick back, I turn on the radio and I drive to work," Cockrell, a public relations director, says.

Then again, he's not paying for the gas. "If I'm stuck in traffic," he says, "I pull into the slow lane."

Call it fuel for thought: In December, Cockrell turned his car into a moving billboard for his employer, Jobing.com. Cockrell's Hybrid fuel SUV is now wrapped in a large advertisement. In return, the Phoenix company reimburses Cockrell's gas and maintenance costs. In addition, Cockrell gets another $500 each month as an incentive.

"Among my own personal group of friends, they like the fact that I always drive because they don't have to pay for the gas," says Cockrell. While the company says it has had the program in place since 2001, Cockrell says employee participation has almost doubled in the past year.

"Interest exploded in December due to gas prices," Cockrell says.

According to the Wall Street Journal exchanging ad space for gas money is just one example of how employers are helping their workers cope with the rising cost of commuting. On Monday, the government said the average cost of gas reached a new record high, $3.79 per gallon. Since this time last year the average cost of a monthly commute to work rose 40 percent, from $100 to $140.

Some companies now offer car and vanpool services to work. Others encourage employees to take advantage of benefits that are already in place but often go unused, such as tax-free deductions to offset the cost of using public transportation.

Georgia lawmakers even told state employees to start working from home one day a week.

"Good Morning America" workplace contributor Tory Johnson says telecommuting is one of the easiest ways companies can help employees save money on their weekly commutes. "Even if a company doesn't have a formal or informal telecommuting policy, right now might be a good time to start one," says Johnson.