Bechtle promotes sustainable mobility with “company bicycle”
- Boosts employee satisfaction, helps protect environment and reduces traffic congestion
- Preferred bicycle offered at attractive terms
Neckarsulm, 1 March 2019 – Bechtle employees working in Germany can now choose to lease an affordable “company bicycle”. The IT provider has teamed up with JobRad, a bicycle leasing company based in Freiburg, to offer staff an environmentally friendly transport option at attractive terms.
This initiative takes advantage of the fact that employer-provided bicycles and e-bikes are taxed the same as company vehicles. Employees receiving a company bicycle give up a portion of their gross income in return. Although the monetary value of this benefit is still taxable (using Germany’s “one-percent rule”), the result is a lower tax bill, which makes the company bicycle an enticing offer. Bechtle also covers the insurance costs for the entire duration of the 36-month lease. Personal use of the company bicycle is authorised and employees themselves get to choose whether they want a city bike, mountain bike, trekking bike or pedelec.
Promoting employer attractiveness while meeting corporate responsibility
Bicycles are becoming an increasingly popular mode of transportation, and Bechtle is eager to support the trend. More and more employees are looking for ways to avoid commuter traffic, do their part for the environment and stay fit. Bechtle has already taken into consideration the growing demand for changing rooms, showers and bicycle parking in the planning stages of its building extension at the Group’s headquarters in Neckarsulm, which is scheduled to be completed in October 2020. “We view company bicycles as yet another benefit we offer to boost our attractiveness as an employer,” explains Gerhard Marz, Executive Vice President Public Sector and Head of Human Resources at Bechtle AG. “And because we are aware of our responsibilities as a company, it is also a way for us to contribute to climate protection and help reduce traffic congestion.”
A strong partner
Bechtle’s partner, JobRad, is a pioneer in the company-bicycle trend, having already teamed up with numerous other employers. Over 5,000 bicycle shops participate in JobRad’s leasing scheme Germany-wide, which is particularly convenient for Bechtle’s decentralised structure. After visiting their local bicycle shop for advice and to make a selection, Bechtle employees in any region can then initiate a standardised, digital leasing process online.