The World's Leading Aerospace Company Looks to Fly High by Hitting the Road with WageWorks

Boeing Uses the WageWorks Commuter Benefits Program to Help Managers, Employees, and the Environment. Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 160,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. This represents one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere.

So, why are the people behind commercial airlines, military aircraft, and the Space Shuttle so concerned about highway congestion? After all, their interests are usually 30,000 feet higher than the average freeway…or perhaps even orbiting above it. Even though they are more in the business of air traffic, Boeing wants to make sure that its employees have an easier time dealing with commuter traffic.

"For the past several years, we have been looking at programs that will help us reduce our carbon footprint. We want to be better stewards of the environment. The WageWorks commuter program allows us to do this while also offering a direct benefit to our employees."
Wendy Weaver Program Manager of Enterprise Commuting Programs Boeing

With more than 144,000 domestic employees spread across the country, Boeing was looking for a cost-effective commuter program that would not only help its employees get to work more conveniently but also take cars off of the road, thereby reducing carbon emissions and helping the environment. As advanced as many of Boeing’s innovations have been over the years, implementing the pre-tax benefit program was outside the company’s area of expertise.

"We are mainly a manufacturing company," says Wendy Weaver, Program Manager of Enterprise Commuting Programs for Boeing. "To administer and manage a pre-tax commuter program is not something that we would have been able to do without assistance. The majority of our employees did not have access to a pre-tax commuter program. A few years ago we implemented an internal online ride-matching program. Since the program was so successful, we wanted to expand our offering of basic commute services. WageWorks Provides the Convenience and Flexibility Necessary to Overcome Obstacles Despite its interest, Boeing was acutely aware that putting such a program in place would be a major undertaking, especially for such a large company with locations spread across the country. To further complicate matters, there were various regulations and requirements depending on the geographic location of specific sites. "There was a lot of interest in trying to get a consistent program going across the company, but it needed to be good enough that people would use it," she says.

To enhance their current commuter program, Boeing began looking for someone to bring it all together – a company that could provide a flexible, cohesive, and comprehensive transit and pre-tax commuter program. Weaver and Boeing found their flight plan and crew for the project by turning to WageWorks, which could offer a whole program that would serve sites across the country, accommodating all of the varying regional requirements. Through an efficient and effective plan, specifically tailored to Boeing’s needs, WageWorks was able to offer Boeing employees access to public transportation, vanpool, and parking expenses, all paid with pre-tax dollars. Employees could use the funds to have pre-paid transit passes delivered directly to their homes or use a WageWorks Commuter Card at transit agency kiosks where it was accepted. Especially attractive to the Boeing Commute Team was the fact that WageWorks offered public transportation coverage in 350+ metropolitan areas in all 50 states.

"WageWorks was able to provide service directly to virtually all of our employees taking part in the program. Paperwork and actual media such as bus passes and their very extensive catalog of transit vouchers reached our people very quickly."
Wendy Weaver Program Manager of Enterprise Commuting Programs Boeing

Increasing Satisfaction While Reducing Carbon Footprint
The level of convenience and flexibility proved to be a major advantage provided by implementing a WageWorks program. For Weaver and the Commuting Team – always looking out for ways to improve the satisfaction of Boeing’s employees while maintaining a lean process – it turns out that having WageWorks’ support makes their job much easier as well. "I like to see WageWorks taking care of everything. I’m glad that anyone who wants to participate can participate," she says. "If there is a question or concern, an employee can contact WageWorks directly. We can make sure that people know how to get in touch with them."

As of February 2009, more than 5,000 Boeing employees nationwide are taking advantage of either the public transportation, vanpool, or parking benefit and the company would like to see that number grow. In addition to the added convenience and tax-savings offered by the programs, Boeing is also acutely aware of the environmental impact of getting more cars off the road. "For the past several years, we have been looking at programs that will help us reduce our carbon footprint," says Weaver. "We want to be better stewards of the environment. The WageWorks commuter program allows us to do this while also offering a direct benefit to our employees."

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