Creative ways you can use Commuter Check
Many employers using Commuter Check provide it as a regular employee benefit. The June 1998 legislative change prompted larger numbers of employers to implement it on a pre-tax salary reduction basis. Others have found creative ways to make Commuter Check suit their organization. These ideas come directly from innovative employers who tailored Commuter Check to fit their specifc requirements.

	•	Compensate specific groups of employees Consider offering the vouchers as special perks to new staff members, to employees whose work site is being relocated, or to other groups for special recognition.
	•	Reward employees for excellent performance Give Commuter Checks to employees with good attendance or top-notch job performance. One employer used Commuter Checks to reduce employee absenteeism and had immediate results: the problem disappeared!
	•	Use the vouchers as prizes in a drawing Offer Commuter Checks in a monthly or one-time prize drawing during the holidays or for a special event. One employer has a monthly Commuter Check drawing containing names of the previous month's transit users.
	•	Give away vouchers as incentives at a commuter fair Commuter Checks are a terrific prize to give away at a commuter fair since they're a valuable gift and a great way to promote transit.
	•	Provide vouchers as a year-end bonus Instead of giving a cash bonus which is taxed, consider offering up to $110 in tax-free Commuter Checks or up to $215 in tax-free ParkCheks to employees in December.
	•	Alter your benefits package to offset the cost of the vouchers Survey your employees to find out what they prefer in their benefits package. It may be they'd rather have their cost-of-living increase lowered in exchange for tax-free transit. Or, they might prefer discarding another benefit they don't really use to enjoy a tax-free, subsidized commute. That way, you can satisfy your employees' specific interests without increasing costs.
	•	Sell the vouchers at half price Consider selling Commuter Checks at half price, $20 vouchers for $10 for example. That way you still subsidize your employees' commute costs with a smaller financial burden, and they still appreciate the savings.