Some firms help workers cope with gas prices

Employers are taking steps to help workers save money on commuting as gas prices climb.

Some are adding programs that encourage employees to save gas money, turning commuting benefits such as car pools into a valuable perk. Others are reaching out to remind workers of programs that are already in place.
About 14% of employers offer transit subsidies and 5% offer car-pooling subsidies, according to a 2005 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that about 12% of employees carpool to work, and 5% take public transportation. Americans on average spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, according to a March 2005 analysis. That means the average daily commute to work lasted about 24.3 minutes in 2003.

What some employers are doing:

USA Today