High gas prices may start to effect employees

If gas prices remain much above $2 after the first of the year, employees with a long commute will start rethinking their employment options, says Don Tyler, employee-management expert in Clarks Hill, Ind. So, what does that mean to you as an employer?

Employers basically have two options. The first option is to do nothing. If you have a ready supply of available employees locally, high fuel prices may not be a concern.

If, however, you have employees driving long distances to get to work, you could consider paying all employees a “fuel surcharge” when gas prices are above a pre-determined level. That fuel surcharge may be $20 per week or $50 a month, explains Tyler. But it needs to be paid to all employees, regardless of how far they commute. If you implement a fuel-surcharge program, make sure you explain that it is temporary and that when gas prices fall below that pre-set level, the extra money they receive will disappear also. 

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