US organizations are taking a variety of creative steps to help their employees offset the high cost of gasoline. In addition to helping to organize employee ride-sharing and carpooling programs, companies are supporting increased use of telecommuting and compressed workweeks, according to Mercer’s 2008 Gas Price Impact SnapShot™ Survey.

Within the next six months, almost one in four employers (22 percent) are for the first time planning to offer at least some of their employees the option of a four-day workweek, and slightly more (24 percent) are planning to allow more employees to telecommute. Other survey findings reveal that two-thirds (66 percent) of responding companies plan to increase mileage reimbursement amounts up to 20 percent for business-related travel due to higher gas prices, while 41 percent anticipate raising car allowance provisions up to 20 percent.