Automotive Business Magazine – Q2 2026 – Digital edition - Magazine - Page 47
→ Andy Bland
is head of business rental UK & Ireland
at Enterprise Mobility
Attracting and retaining employees
Transport and business travel is
a vital tool for employee retention
and wellbeing. Grey fleet may seem
convenient – but that’s not always the
employee perception.
In one of our mobility studies, 61%
of UK employees interviewed said they
would consider changing jobs to work
for a company that had better measures
for business travel than using privatelyowned cars, to avoid wear and tear on
personal vehicles.
That means offering alternative options
can help to keep employees happier by
reducing their maintenance bills.
Taking pressure off commuting
Many employees commute to work by
car to have access to their vehicle if
they need to make a business trip when
they’re at work.
However, our On the Move research
found that 43% want less expensive
commuting options, and almost one
in four (24%) want a less stressful
commuting experience.
Offering better alternatives to grey
fleet at work gives employees the
option to choose a fresh approach to
commuting – one that could include
active travel such as walking or cycling,
or public transport.
Reducing business travel costs
Unmanaged grey fleet typically means
less control over where, when and how
employees travel, and journeys that
neither align with the company travel
policy nor offer the best value when
assessed against other options. Say four
people are driving to an event each in
their own car. What would be the benefit
if all four took a single company vehicle?
Has anyone checked if public transport is
a more cost-effective fit for that journey?
Under the surface
Grey fleet has been called an ‘iceberg’
of cost, where 90% is hidden beneath
the waterline. However, there are strong
reasons to get to grips with it and many
tools to enable businesses to manage it.
Analysing how, where, when – and
perhaps most importantly, why –
employees are travelling is an important
starting point.
This enables businesses to identify
which alternatives make sense, and how
best to implement them.
Q2 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
71
47
