Should you offer employee parking? Pros and cons

Table of contents

1. Advantages of offering parking at work
2. Disadvantages of offering workplace parking
3. Pros of not providing parking for employees
4. Cons of not providing parking for employees
5. Advantages of downsizing parking spaces
6. Disadvantages of downsizing parking spaces
7. Workplace parking solutions

A crucial question being asked right now by companies including tech giants like Meta and Twitter, is how they can restructure internally to reduce spending and drive efficiency. A huge part of this is looking at workplace parking.

This includes options such as removing parking spaces and getting rid of onsite parking altogether. Or rightsizing so that companies are streamlining and optimizing every aspect of their workplace. This ranges from decisions around human talent to optimizing real estate.

Whether or not you offer work parking is up to your individual needs. Let’s discuss several approaches to see what works best for your organization.

Offering work parking

Advantages

Perk for hiring

Providing work parking is a great incentive for potential employees. It demonstrates that flexibility and employee experience is prioritized. In addition, work parking availability is a huge consideration for many job seekers who understand the stress of not having a dedicated place to park. Offering employee parking is a key perk to make your workplace an attractive place to work.

Morale and Culture

Fostering a productive culture and positive morale is something HR is constantly striving for. Employees with work parking solutions provided to them have been found to be happier, more productive, and feel valued by their company.

Flexibility for hybrid working

Hybrid working has emerged as the global norm, giving staff some days in the office and others at home. However, the one potential drawback is that work parking arrangements aren't flexible enough to meet the demands for parking at work. However, having dedicated parking for employees ensures they will always have a place to park. In addition, using an employee parking management system ensures that hybrid workers' needs for flexibility can be met.

Disadvantages

Cost of parking spaces

Space is at a premium no matter what city you’re located in, and you must always pay for the space you use. So this makes employee parking lots another expense, as you have to either build new parking lots or lease additional parking stalls.

Parking taxes

More municipalities are imposing a parking tax, especially levied against employers who offer onsite parking. This extends to work parking lots and creates an additional cost to businesses.

Removing all work parking

Advantages

Cost saving

Removing all work parking is one way of washing your hands of the costs associated with parking. It means not implementing any employee parking management system, leasing parking stalls or investing in real estate, leaving employees to figure it out on their own.

Less admin and management needs

Because the company provides no parking at work, there’s no parking management requirements. So administrators can focus on other tasks, and there’s no need for a parking management system.

Disadvantages

Lost productivity, lower morale, and difficulties with hybrid schedules

Needing to find work parking is a constant struggle for workers, increasing stress levels and lowering productivity.

Companies have found that providing better parking increases productivity by giving employees one less thing to consider.

However, removing all work parking can lead to stressed out and less productive employees.

It can also make hybrid schedules more difficult, discouraging staff from driving into the office due to lack of onsite parking availability.

Recruitment and retention issues

Parking at work is an attractive commodity for potential and current employees. A lack of work parking can make it difficult to attract certain kinds of employees who view accessible parking as a critical requirement.

Research says that 23% of people have quit a job because of their commute alone.

Downsizing the number of parking stalls onsite

Advantages

Cost saving and less admin involvement

Keeping employee parking but changing to a smaller surface area is a great way to save on real estate.

When moving offices, downsizing parking space is an option to reduce cost. But may require creative ways to maintain a positive commute, from enabling park sharing to encouraging alternative forms of transportation.

By adopting parking management software, you can also increase parking availability and occupancy while reducing administration and parking complaints.

Disadvantages

Frustration

The commute is often proven to be one of the most frustrating parts of an employees’ day. So reducing parking availability and inefficient use of open spaces, increases employee frustration and leads to poor outcomes for the business.

Lower morale and lower productivity

The frustration associated with fewer parking spaces can lead employees to have lower morale, feeling less valued by their employer, and decrease overall productivity.

Workplace parking solutions

Offering employee parking should be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on your organization's needs and the resources available to you as an organization.

Talk to Parkable about how we can help you identify the best parking set up for your organization's goals and needs.