“By going for ‘green kilometres’ and embracing flexibility, we’re not only creating a more sustainable workplace but also strengthening our community.”

Astrid Hendriks, HR Services & Specialties manager and Jeske van Spreuwel-Verhoeven, Facility Management manager, are both involved in developing mobility policy at Van Lanschot Kempen. Jeske focuses on the facilities end and accessibility of the firm’s office locations, while Astrid is responsible for employment conditions. At its most recent meeting, on 4 July, ‘Taskforce Bereikbaarheid Zuidas’ discussed mobility and parking. Guest speaker Van Lanschot Kempen presented their employee mobility policy and how it operates in practice. 

Mobility policy
After harmonising and modernising their employment conditions in 2020, Van Lanschot Kempen set to work on its mobility policy. The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the importance of hybrid working, so this was fully integrated. Van Lanschot Kempen wanted to take a sustainable approach and worked closely with its sustainability team. This resulted in a mobility policy that is not only sustainable ,but also flexible, giving employees the freedom to travel and work responsibly and efficiently.

In addition to its headquarters in Tower Nine of the WTC in Amsterdam and its head office in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Van Lanschot Kempen has another twenty-five locations across the Netherlands. Most are in the vicinity of railway stations, encouraging the use of public transport. The firm’s policy is focused on promoting sustainable travel by means of ‘green kilometres’. 

“For us, it’s all about employee wellbeing. Ensuring that our offices are easy to reach and working conditions are flexible is key to creating an optimal working environment.” 

New bicycle scheme
At Van Lanschot Kempen, mobility policy is always a work in progress. Last May, the firm started offering lease bikes (both electric and traditional). Before this, employees already had the option to buy bikes with a tax deduction. This new scheme has proved to be popular. The firm has seen a marked increase in the number of bikes stalled and demand for e-bike charging points has also been growing for some time. The Amsterdam WTC has its own large bike parking facility and other offices also offer secure bike parking.

Cars and parking
Compared to other organisations, Van Lanschot Kempen has a modest fleet of leased vehicles. The firm has made sustainable agreements for this fleet, under which every new car purchased is fully electric. Lease drivers are offered the flexibility of also being able to take the train to the office or clients instead. Parking is limited at the main office locations, which incentivises sustainable choices. Its electric lease policy, introduced a few years ago, has led to the expansion of charging points in the car parks.

Employees
Employees are regularly asked to weigh in, either through the firm’s Employee Engagement Scan (with an eNPS of 19 and a response rate of 84% in 2023), a targeted questionnaire, or membership in its Works Council or sounding board groups. Internal employee surveys show flexibility to be one of the most important elements. This flexibility was therefore built into the firm’s modern employment conditions and later applied to its mobility scheme as well, which combines a wide range of options with a low-threshold approach.