Employers in San Francisco Required to Provide Commuter Benefits or Face Daily Fines Up to $10,000

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Heritage Foundation:

Employers in the San Francisco Bay Area are adjusting to a new regulation this month that requires them to provide commuter benefits to employees.

 

The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program mandates private, public and non-profit companies with 50 or more full-time employees to offer commuter benefits in an effort to “improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion.”

 

On Sept. 30, employers in the Bay Area Air Quality Management District—which includes nine counties in Northern California—had to comply with the new program or face civil penalties up to $10,000 per day under California’s air pollution control laws.

 

“We believe this is an effective way to reduce air pollution, congestion, and even stress of workers. This saves workers and employers money while cleaning the air,” Tom Flannigan, a public information officer at the air district, told the Contra Costa Times.