There's no such thing as free gas.
Unless, of course, when it actually is free.
Not many people are accessible to this luxury, especially during this time of skyrocketing gas prices. But many companies out there pay their employees based on how much they drive.
Take for example, my boyfriend's company. Since I'll refrain from naming it by name, we'll just say that it's a Canadian company that sells light bulbs. Like most other companies, it relies on account representatives to oversee the companies that sell their product. It also distributes its product throughout stores in Washington and
Oregon. As a result, my boyfriend--whom we'll call Andrew, must do a lot of driving to keep up with all his accounts. Luckily for him, his company gives him a gas card, which is fully reimbursed. I don't even think he sees the bill.
Naturally, this allowed for more unnecessary driving on his part. Party up in Bellingham? Sure, he'll be there! Need to pick up something in Tacoma? No problem. Group drive up the pass? He wouldn't miss it. There were a lot of trips that simply wasted gas and were mostly inspired because hey, my company pays for my gas. This type of thinking also persuaded his colleague to buy a Dodge Hemi as his work car.
Recently, his company changed their policy so that the account reps get reimbursed for their gas based on how many miles they drive, rather than a gas card. Now, in order to get the same compensation, Andrew must log more hours in his car. So, needless to say, he doesn't drive as much unless it's absolutely necessary. He works a lot more at home on his computer and only drives to stores when something out-of-the-ordinary is going on. The 180-degree change in his driving habits sure made a difference. Now, he understands the gas = $$$ ratio.
More than a few times I’ve heard the phrase, 'I hope people chip in for gas money' escape from his mouth. It was never mentioned before.
Of course, free gas is free gas. Even the staunchest environmentalists might line up for a free tank of gas. It doesn't mean you have to drive more right? Too bad this mentality doesn't actually work in theory. After all, we've already proven that our demand trumps the price at the pumps. Americans are perfectly willing to pay a lot of money for the luxury to drive. But for as much money as we, or our companies spend on gas, the environment will always pay the price.
Are companies rewarding their employees for being environmentally-friendly? Are they helping subsidize bus passes to help cut down on traffic and pollution? Currently, my own company provides a small discount on bus passes--but it's only $10 off a month. They also provide a hefty discount on parking in their garage, for those employees who prefer to drive to work every day. Seem a little unbalanced?
Just recently we've introduced a Green Employee Resource Group into our company and the turnout was tremendous. People do care about our environmental impact and are excited to make changes in our company.
Unfortunately, all companies are different. Often, in larger corporations, it can be very hard to change policies--even with a resource group. Talk with HR. See what your own company is open to working on. It has become the popular practice among corporations to have a greener approach to their business, so hopefully change will be more abundant in the workplace. Especially when it comes to driving.