Flex Reward in practice: 2 million kilometers less on the clock

KPMG enables sustainable travel and reduces the time wasted in traffic jams with its Flex Reward Tool. Companies can use this web solution to combine their cafeteria plans with flexible transport options. The international audit and consultancy organization tailors this platform to the needs of its customers and also uses the tool itself. "More than 60% of our employees are now using more responsible transportation options."

Of course, companies like to test the products they develop, but KPMG takes things one step further. In 2018, it developed the Flex Reward Tool for its customers.

"Additional leave days, a different company car and a supplementary pension are some of the flexible remuneration options we have offered employees as part of our cafeteria plan for quite some time now. Since we started using the Flex Reward Tool and incorporated our transportation plan, we have noticed that our employees use more responsible methods of transport."

KPMG's transportation plan allows its 1,350 employees in Belgium to choose from train or bus travel passes, bicycle leasing and carpooling with colleagues. They can use the Olympus app for this. The Olympus app is a platform on which employees can quickly combine various means of transport for individual routes in a flexible way, for example by sharing a car and then using public transport or a bicycle.

"Especially since we moved our offices to Zaventem airport and the Post X site right next to Antwerp-Berchem train station, we noticed a huge change in our employees' modes of transport," Karine Vandenberghe says. "These are excellent locations that are easy to get to by various means of transport. The employees do not have to return their company car, but they do tend to combine it with alternative means of transport depending on the route they need to travel that day or their appointments with customers."

Car use has fallen drastically thanks to the transportation alternatives KPMG offers with its tool. "In 2018, the alternative means of transport used by our entire workforce – the permanent and self-employed staff – accounted for 18,000 days of public transport use, 5,000 days of carpooling and 5,000 cycling days. Our company cars drove 2 million kilometers less", Karine Vandenberghe says. "As a result, they emit 173 tons of CO2 less each year."

"Meanwhile, 62% of our employees are using the tool to manage their transportation. They are particularly enthusiastic about the simulations available in the tool. They can instantly see the financial impact of their choice, and can then decide whether or not to go for it."

KPMG integrated a transportation calendar into the tool. It allows employees to register their use of alternative means of transport. It also serves as an incentive program. "We are fully committed to sustainable transportation. For example, we provide financial compensation of 5 euros per day to people who use alternative means of transport," Karine Vandenberghe says. "Our transportation plan is successful, which also increases the staff satisfaction on the shop floor. In the end, that is what every company strives for: a place where employees like to spend their time."

IT group Cegeka – with more than 4000 employees – introduced the KPMG Flex Reward Tool two years ago.

Anik Stalmans: "The biggest advantage for Cegeka is that it enables us to differentiate ourselves on the labor market. We can offer a wide range of benefits to our employees and put together a personalized remuneration package without many additional costs." This allows Cegeka to offer attractive benefits during its recruitment, but the Flex Reward Tool was also well received by the current employees. "They can now spend part of their salary on options that are useful to them in this particular stage of their lives."

KPMG provided specific advice to support Cegeka with the introduction of the tool and its broader HR policy. "It is important that you can make the right choices that have the most impact on your employees," Anik Stalmans says. "It is also not obvious for everyone to be aware of all the exact details of certain benefits and their financial impact. Communication is therefore crucial and we could rely on KPMG's advice in this respect."