By Julia O’Malley
SPECIAL TO THE OREGONIAN

When Jan Caceres, a legal assistant, moved into a home on Northeast 24th Avenue, a $2,000 check from her employer eased the headache of lugging her belongings across town.
“It covered the deposits and the moving company,” Caceres says. “It was a huge incentive.”
The check also helped her live a little greener, by allowing her to walk to work.

Caceres was the first recipient of a benefit offered by her employer, Peterson Law Offices. The personal injury law firm offers to help with moving costs for employees who relocate to homes within one mile of its Northeast Portland office.

Firm owner Todd Peterson and Inger Ellam, his wife and office manager, decided two years ago initiated [sic] the benefit because they wanted their 14 employees to avoid commuting.
“A lot of people say they are pro-environment, but we have to do something,” Ellam says. “I decided to put my money where my mouth is.”

Peterson and Ellam walk to work from their home in the nearby Laurelhurst neighborhood. Walking to work saves money, spares gas and reduces smog. It’s also good for people to live where they work, Peterson says.

The business offers the benefit to homeowners and renters, and plans to expand the option to employees who live within five miles, which is close enough to bike. Besides the environmental benefits, walking every day promotes physical and mental health, potentially leading to fewer sick days and less workplace stress, Peterson says.

“We say healthy employees are good employees; they’re better to work with,” he says.
The firm also covers costs for employees who use public transportation at least 50 percent of the time and offers a $50-a-month gym benefit that also can be used to cover the cost of a commuter bicycle.

More Portland businesses are looking for ways to make employee commutes shorter and more environmentally friendly, says Stephanie Swanson, spokeswoman for the city’s Office of Sustainable Development.

Bank of America, for example, has moved employees to branches closer to their homes. Other businesses locate close to public transportation or even provide benefits for buying hybrid cars, she says.

Caceres walks to work and sometimes goes home for lunch as well, giving her 45 minutes of exercise. Eating in is healthier and less expensive than eating out. She also saves at least $40 dollars a month in gas. “Quite truthfully, I have lost weight,” Caceres says, “But more than that, working close to where you live saves so much time, and time to me is invaluable.”

Got a story idea for Green Life? Contact portland@news.oregonian.com

The Oregonian - In Portland - Thursday, July 7, 2005

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