It doesn't matter whether it's by car, bike or train: the company pays millions for employees to commute to work
Created: 01/05/2023 15:29
By: Julian Baumann
Companies such as Mercedes-Benz or Porsche offer employees in higher ranks company cars.
SAP wants to give its workforce an alternative.
Stuttgart/Walldorf - The salaries at Mercedes-Benz and the remuneration at Porsche are quite impressive, but in the higher ranks the employees of the two traditional groups from Stuttgart also receive company cars from their own vehicle fleet.
Porsche had already urged its managers to switch to electric cars in 2021.
Especially in larger cities with a well-developed infrastructure and shorter commutes, many employees also come to work by bus and train, by bike or even the increasingly popular e-scooters.
As one of the first large German companies, the software group SAP from Walldorf (Baden-Württemberg) wants to offer its employees an alternative to company cars.
The employees should receive a freely available mobility budget, as reported by the
Handelsblatt
.
It is up to you whether you use this budget to travel by public transport, take a taxi to work from time to time or use it to repair your trusty bicycle.
The company is paying a lot for the offer, writes BW24.
Train, rental car, bike or taxi?
With the mobility budget, SAP employees should have free choice
So far, many German companies have been pursuing a two-pronged strategy in promoting the mobility of their employees.
High and important positions such as managers are often entitled to a company car, while the lower ranks at least get discounts on new cars, especially from companies in the automotive industry.
If you prefer to get to work by bus or train instead, you can get a subsidy for the ticket in many companies.
On the other hand, the fact that employees can choose how and for what they want to use the mobility budget is not yet widespread in Germany.
SAP is the software company with the highest sales in Europe, which is also reflected in the salaries of the employees.
In addition, the Walldorfer have by far the largest fleet of company cars in the whole country with 17,000 vehicles.
The software company now apparently wants to get rid of this, although the mobility budget is intended to be an alternative to the company car and not to replace it.
According to the
Handelsblatt
, all SAP employees who are entitled to a company car, which corresponds to around 20,000 people, will have the opportunity to take advantage of the mobility budget offer from April 1, 2023.
SAP pilot tests show employee interest – many use budget for buses and trains
The mobility budget is not based on the salary of the employee or his position in the group, but simply on the respective needs.
In 2020, SAP has already started a pilot with 500 employees.
The result showed that 60 percent of users used the budget for public transport, 30 percent for cars, mostly car sharing, and 10 percent for long-distance bus or train tickets for family members.
Because the offer was so well received, it should be available to all employees who are entitled to a company car from April.
"The interest is huge," said fleet manager Stefan Krautwasser.
With the mobility budget, employees can choose for themselves what they want to spend the grant on: for the commute to work by train, for the car or for bicycle repairs.
© Max Kovalenko/Imago
SAP's move sends a signal and could also convince other German companies to offer an alternative to company cars.
Especially with regard to the mobility turnaround, company cars are the main reason for the poor CO2 balance in many companies.
From 2025, combustion models will no longer be allowed in the fleet of company cars.
However, SAP does not want to get rid of company cars entirely, but rather offer employees a flexible alternative.
The pilot tests have been well received so far, not only at the SAP locations in the major cities, but also at the main location in tranquil Walldorf.
