Christchurch employer offers cycle-incentive

An advertising company in Christchurch is making headlines in the mainstream media this week after it began offering a financial incentive to staff who cycle into work.

Make Collective is offering $5 a day to employees who cycle to and from work – if they keep the commitment up for more than half of their annual work days, the amount will double.

“My gut instinct is that it could be something really good for the workplace,” company director Tim Chesney told Fairfax Media. “I know for myself I show up feeling a lot more energised, my blood is already flowing.”

The move comes as Chesney – himself a keen cyclist – sought for ways to motivate staff while also moving the city away from a reliance on cars.

“For a while I had been thinking it would be great to incentivise cycling in some way,” he said. “Cash is clearly the most obvious incentive.”

While the dollars accumulate over the year, the overall total will be paid out to staff as a cash bonus at the end of the year and could easily reach into hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

However, there are some hurdles the company may have to overcome – including a lack of shower facilities.

"There's a gym across the road, so maybe we could somehow swindle a shower-only membership from there," Chesney told Fairfax.