Intel is the best and Microsoft is the second best workplace for commuters, according to a ranking of Fortune 500 companies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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Download NowTechnology companies dominate the top of the EPA's list of the Top 20 Best Workplaces for Commuters. Google and Oracle tied for third on the list.
The EPA ranked companies from the Fortune 500 by the percentage of employees who are eligible for commuter benefits that meet the agency's National Standard of Excellence, such as subsidized transit passes, telecommuting, carpool programs, and emergency rides home.
The EPA says 94 percent of Intel employees, 91 percent of Microsoft employees, and 86 percent of Google and Oracle employees are eligible for commuter benefits meeting the agency's standard.
Intel's commuter benefits include a universal vanpool and transit subsidy program ($30 per month) and emergency ride home services. In 2005, 40 percent of its employees telecommuted, the EPA notes.
Each year, the congestion created from commuting to and from work causes 3.7 billion hours of lost productivity, costing employees 92 million work weeks, and the nation $63.1 billion in wasted time and fuel, according to the agency.
The agency's Top 20 Best Workplaces for Commuters from Fortune 500 companies follows:
Rank |
Company |
Percentage of Eligible Employees |
1 |
Intel |
94% |
2 |
Microsoft |
91% |
3 |
(tie) Google Inc. |
86% |
3 |
(tie) Oracle |
86% |
5 |
QUALCOMM |
76% |
6 |
Yahoo! Inc. |
72% |
7 |
Cisco Systems |
70% |
8 |
Sun Microsystems |
68% |
9 |
Texas Instruments |
65% |
10 |
Applied Materials, Inc. |
63% |
11 |
Safeco Insurance |
60% |
12 |
Reliant Energy |
59% |
13 |
Wyeth |
58% |
14 |
Apple |
57% |
15 |
IBM |
53% |
16 |
Advanced Micro Devices |
50% |
17 |
(tie) EMC Corporation |
49% |
17 |
(tie) El Paso Corporation |
49% |
17 |
(tie) Nike, Inc. |
49% |
20 |
Schering-Plough |
47% |
For more information on the EPA's program, visit the Best Workplaces for Commuters site.