This morning we had a meeting in which Management addressed rising fuel costs. Their suggested solution to ease the burden on us was that “we find coworkers to car pool with”. It was then requested that we e-mail our suggestions.
What follows is what I sent:
“Per the meeting this morning I thought I would share my thoughts.
For the past two years (or more) the manufacturing, service, shipping/receiving, quality, maintenance, and corresponding managers (you) have continued to commute to work 52 weeks per year.
Let us use an estimated figure of $50/week on gas to commute to work. Assuming each employee is off for ~two weeks of the year for vacation/holidays, that puts fuel costs to keep [Company] alive at somewhere around $2,500.00 per year (more or less).
Due to Covid, much of the company has been working from home (and continues to do so).
To my neanderthal brain, what I see is the lowest paid people in the company paying out of pocket approximately $5,000.00 for fuel over the past two years. At the same time, those working from home have saved an equal amount of money by not commuting.
When I was in the military and stationed in Germany, we were given a monthly Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) to account for the difference between the dollar and the euro.
Perhaps [Company] needs to issue a “Not Working From Home Allowance” to account for the current gas price issue, and perhaps a retroactive reimbursement of money spent (by the lowest on the totem pole) to keep things rolling. You stated that [Company] has close to 3,000 employees and that gas cards would have to be a discussion. I don't know the figures, but I'd guess (world-wide) there are only about one-tenth of that number who are still coming in every day. Those working from home do not qualify, plain and simple.
[Company] posted a 20% YOY increase in profit last year. I think I speak for everybody with boots on the ground when I say that [Company] needs to put some skin in the game for the little guys.
Just food for thought.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings.
V/R
[Redacted]”