Walmart is rolling out a new commute

Remember learning to ride your bike in the school parking lot, or the humbling agony of a Razor scooter obliterating your ankle?

Same. But dust off your helmet and hike up your tube socks, because it might be time for a new set of wheels. Walmart Inc. created a position in 2022 called the “director of workplace mobility,” per Bloomberg, and it could hint at a broader corporate trend.

Kourtney Barrett, who was hired for the role, is charged with:

• Getting 10% of employees at the company’s Arkansas headquarters to commute to work by any means other than single-passenger driving by 2025.
• Encouraging options like walking, biking, riding a scooter, carpooling, or taking public transportation.

To hit the 10% goal, employees must use alternative modes of transportation 2x-3x per week for a year. Currently, less than 1% of the Arkansas workforce meets that standard, so Barrett has her work cut out for her.

Riding into the future

Walmart introduced the 10% goal not only to cut carbon emissions, but also to help employees lead healthier lives and decrease local traffic congestion.

And it’s blazing a trail that other corporations will likely follow. Per a report from the IBM Institute of Business Value:

• Seven in 10 workers say they’re more likely to stay with an employer that has a good reputation for sustainability.
• Three in 4 say they expect their employer to take action on social responsibility issues.

Could handlebar tassels be the next big office merch category? Here’s hopin’.