INDUSTRY
• Healthcare

LOCATION
• Birmingham

STATISTICS
• 500 Employees
• Employees earn points for clean air decisions, including using a commute alternative to get to work

REASONS FOR JOINING
• Already an advocate for clean air
• Setting example for surrounding community to follow

BUSINESS BENEFITS
• Additional employee benefit
• Reduces employees' stress and financial strain
• Provides positive and productive workplace

CONTACT
• Matt Lacke
205-930-1317
matt.lacke@jcdh.org

Breathing Easy

Promoting actions that reduce harmful pollution in the Birmingham area has been a goal of the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) for more than 35 years. Helping Jefferson county residents breathe easier, JCDH has a long-standing relationship with CommuteSmart and increased its program participation in the last year.

Now a Gold Level Partner, JCDH promotes carpooling, vanpooling, biking and walking as cleaner, healthier ways to get to work. Some departments are also eligible for flextime, which gets commuters off the road during peak traffic times, and compressed work weeks, which eliminate one day’s commute entirely.

Through its partnership with CommuteSmart, JCDH employees learned about the Commuter Club incentive. As a reward for clean commuting, program participants earn $25 gift cards for logging 20 clean commutes over a three month period.

Adding an extra incentive to contribute to healthy air, JCDH has had a program in place for more than 10 years where employees earn points for “clean air choices.” Clean commutes, eating in or walking to lunch, flexing work time and not mowing the lawn or refueling a vehicle on air quality alert days all earn points. Each employee has a score sheet that is totaled at the end of the month and entered into a random drawing for gas cards.

Understanding the health benefits and improved morale of a less stressful commute and clean air, JCDH plans to expand the CommuteSmart and air quality action programs beyond its central facility to include all health centers. CommuteSmart will be able to visit each center and help employees find an alternative commute that fits their lifestyle.

JCDH programs benefit not only its employees, but all of Greater Birmingham by making the air cleaner and healthier for everyone. “We promote air quality education and strive to make residents aware of the types of air pollution, their health effects and what they can do to reduce pollution in their community.”