Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
by Will Sanderson
“Commuting has shifted from a necessary evil to an unnecessary hindrance in the eyes of many office workers who are now accustomed to remote work. Yet as teams struggle to collaborate and downtown office vacancies rise, Philadelphia employers are more bullish than ever to bring their employees back to the office. City officials say the new commuter benefit ordinance, which requires employers with a staff of 50 or more to provide transit benefits to eligible employees, can accelerate this return to the office and alleviate commuter woes. But let’s face it: Allowing employees to pay for their own transit rides with pretax dollars (the ordinance’s minimum requirement) is not enough of an incentive to lure workers into an office four or five days a week. If companies are insistent on a successful office comeback, they need to subsidize their employees’ transit costs.” (11/16/23)
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/septa-free-commute-employer-benefit-20231116.html