Workplace mobility: what it is and how to manage it in a business

How long does it take you to get to work every morning? Do you always drive because you have no other option? Are there days when finding a parking space feels like a mission? Although we often give it little thought, the way we travel to work is part of our working routine and can affect far more than the time we clock in for work. 

That is precisely what workplace mobility: the journeys we make for work. It covers everything from the daily commute between home and the office to journeys during the working day or travel between different sites belonging to the same business. 

This is where mobility stops being just a personal matter. For a business, knowing how its staff get to work, what challenges they face and what alternatives are available can help improve the employee experience, make better use of resources and move towards more sustainable mobility. 

In this article from Waiis we explain what workplace mobility is, the different types and the measures businesses can take to manage their employees’ journeys more effectively.

What is workplace mobility?

The workplace mobility is the set of journeys connected with a person’s professional activity. It can cover different situations, but it is common to distinguish between three types: 

• Commuting (in itinere): This refers to the journey between an employee’s home and their workplace, both on the way in and on the way back. It is the most common and recurring type of journey. 

• Business travel (in mission): These are journeys made during working hours for professional reasons, such as visiting a client, attending a meeting or travelling to another location. 

• Internal mobility: This covers journeys between different workplaces within the same organisation, which is common in businesses with several offices, plants or branches. 

Although all of these are part of workplace mobility, they are not managed in the same way. This article focuses in particular on commuting and on the measures a business can take to make its staff’s daily journeys easier. 

Why is commuting important?

Commuting plays an important part in employees’ day-to-day experience, because the journey is part of the working routine even before the working day begins. Travel time, available transport links, traffic and how easy it is to park can all affect the experience of travelling to the workplace. 

For a business, analysing these journeys makes it possible to identify specific problems and decide which measures may be most suitable for its workforce. For example, an office in a city centre will not have the same needs as an industrial estate with few public transport services. 

What problems can poor workplace mobility management cause? 

When a business does not look at how its staff get to the workplace, a range of difficulties can arise: 

• Access problems: Some workplaces may have limited public transport connections. 

• Dependence on private vehicles: Where suitable alternatives are unavailable, some staff may have to rely on a car to get to work. 

• Insufficient parking: If a large proportion of employees use their own vehicles, pressure on the available parking spaces increases. 

• Travel time: Long journeys or journeys affected by traffic can have an impact on employees’ day-to-day experience. 

• Difficulties for particular groups: A lack of transport alternatives can make it harder for people without a car to get to work. 

• Environmental impact: The number of journeys and the mode of transport used also affect the emissions associated with staff travel. 

For this reason, workplace mobility should not be considered solely from a transport perspective; it is also important to take account of the real needs of employees and the characteristics of the workplace. 

What is corporate or business mobility? 

Corporate or business mobility refers to managing journeys connected with an organisation’s activities. It can include employees’ journeys to the workplace as well as travel during the working day, business trips and the management of company vehicles. hace referencia a la gestión de los desplazamientos relacionados con la actividad de una organización. Puede incluir tanto la movilidad de los empleados hasta el centro de trabajo como los desplazamientos realizados durante la jornada, los viajes profesionales o la gestión de vehículos de empresa. 

Different measures can form part of this strategy: public transport, cycling, remote working, flexible hours, electric mobility or car sharing among employees, for example. The aim does not have to be replacing one mode of transport with another; it is about building a strategy that meets the needs of the business and its staff.. 

How can a business manage workplace mobility?

Managing workplace mobility starts with understanding how staff travel. A straightforward process can be divided into five steps: 

1. Analyse journeys:  Find out where, when and how employees travel to work. 

2. Identify needs:  Identify issues involving public transport, parking, working hours or reliance on private vehicles. 

3. Define measures:  Select the alternatives best suited to the business’s location and characteristics. 

4. Encourage participation:  Communicate the available options and make it easy for employees to use them. 

5. Measure results:  Review participation and see which measures are working so they can be adjusted. 

This process can be incorporated into a Sustainable Mobility Plan for Commuting, a strategy designed to improve employees’ journeys and encourage more efficient, accessible and sustainable alternatives. 

What measures can improve workplace mobility?

There is no single solution that works for everyone . The most appropriate measures will depend on factors such as the workplace location, working hours, shifts and where employees live. 

Remote working

Where the nature of the role allows, remote working can reduce some journeys to the workplace. However, it is not an option for every sector or role, such as industrial, healthcare, logistics or in-person customer service work. 

Flexible working hours

Flexible start and finish times can help spread journeys across different times of day and avoid the whole workforce travelling at the same time.

Public transport

Making public transport easier to access through information, support or discounts can be particularly useful where there are suitable connections to the workplace. Its usefulness will largely depend on the services’ coverage, frequency and operating times.

Cycling and active travel

For short distances and workplaces with suitable infrastructure, making it easier to cycle can be part of a sustainable mobility strategy. Some businesses provide secure cycle parking, changing rooms or other facilities to support these journeys.

Car sharing between employees

Car sharing for the commute can be an option when several employees have compatible journeys and other transport options do not adequately meet their needs. Instead of each person travelling separately, several employees can share a vehicle and split the costs of the journey. 

Mobility platforms can also make it easier to find colleagues with compatible schedules and routes. With Waiis, each employee sets up their regular routine — days, times, starting point and destination — and the platform automatically identifies potential matches between users.

How can car sharing help improve workplace mobility?

Car sharing can be particularly useful in businesses where some staff rely on private vehicles to get to work. If several employees make compatible journeys, sharing a vehicle helps make better use of the cars already making those journeys. 

A dedicated platform can also make a process easier that would otherwise have to be coordinated manually among colleagues. At Waiis, employees enter their regular routines and the system automatically identifies potential matches based on their schedules and routes. This means car sharing can form one of the measures within a broader strategy for workplace and business mobility.

What are the benefits of improving workplace mobility?

A workplace mobility strategy tailored to staff needs can deliver a range of benefits: 

• Make it easier to get to the workplace. 

• Expand the transport options available to employees. 

• Reduce reliance on private vehicles where viable alternatives exist. 

• Make better use of parking spaces. 

• Support shared and sustainable mobility options. 

• Gain insight into staff travel habits. 

• Include mobility measures in the business’s sustainability strategy. 

The results will always depend on the workplace’s characteristics, employee participation and the measures implemented. 

Managing workplace mobility starts with understanding how staff travel and the difficulties they face day to day. From there, each business can combine the measures that best suit its needs, from public transport and flexible hours to car sharing between employees. 

The aim is simple: to make journeys easier and create more efficient, accessible and sustainable commuting.