woom is the first certified cycle-friendly business in Vienna and Lower Austria
6/2/2023
woom is the first business to achieve cycle-friendly employer (CFE) certification in Vienna and Lower Austria
Cycle-friendly benefits for woom employees include cycle parking spaces, showers and bike events
woom supports initiatives for sustainable mobility
Klosterneuburg, 07/02/2023: woom, the international manufacturer of bikes for children and teenagers, is the first business in Vienna and Lower Austria to achieve CFE certification as a cycle-friendly employer. Cycle-friendly employer (CFE) status is awarded to companies across Europe that are doing their bit to protect our planet by promoting cycling through their infrastructure and awareness-raising activities.
"Here at woom, it's our mission to instil a love of cycling in children through our products and encourage them to live a healthy, sustainable and climate-friendly lifestyle," says woom CEO Paul Fattinger. "And we do our best to help our employees adopt that same lifestyle too."
That's why the Austrian company based in Klosterneuburg has taken multiple steps to make it easier for its employees to cycle to work, including plenty of cycle parking spaces inside and outside the building, showers and changing rooms for cycling commuters, and the offer of regular bike maintenance and repairs.
"Our head office is located directly on the Danube Cycle Path, which makes commuting by bike an easy choice," says Fattinger. "It's just under ten kilometres from St. Stephen's Cathedral to the office – the perfect distance for a bike ride. Cycling the commute is a great way to top up on fresh air and keep fit."
Official recognition for supporting cycling
woom is the first business in the greater Vienna area to achieve CFE certification and officially be named a cycle-friendly employer. CFE status is awarded to companies across Europe that are doing their bit to protect our planet by proactively promoting cycling through their infrastructure and awareness-raising activities. The criteria for the certification are set by the European Cyclist Federation (ECF), with 90 aspects being evaluated and assessed by independent assessors in total. In Austria, the audits are conducted by Austria's cycling advocacy group, Radlobby Österreich.
"woom actively encourages its employees to get out and about on their bikes with plenty of motivation on offer. And now this passion for cycling is officially audited and rewarded with certification,"
Passion for cycling at woom
The woom team is united by its love of cycling. And woom actively fuels this passion with a range of activities.
The company arranges two woom car free days a year, when the woom team cycles to the office together and starts the day with a nutritious team breakfast. The first-ever woom bike movie night took place back in December. This bike-based event required plenty of pedal power because the woom team had to keep cycling to power the popcorn machine and the 'CycleCinemaClub' film technology.
woom sponsors the VCÖ Mobility Award and 'Österreich radelt' (Austria cycles) campaign
woom also supports other projects and initiatives with a link to cycling. This year, woom will be supporting the VCÖ Mobility Award again as sponsor of the "Child-Friendly Transport System" category, partnering up with Radlobby Österreich and the Vienna Mobility Agency, stepping up as the main sponsor for the nationwide "Österreich radelt" (Austria Cycles) campaign being run by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action and all Austrian states, and becoming a Climate Alliance Austria Business in the near future.
Cycling is a fun and sustainable activity
"Sustainability is one of our central company goals. We're aiming to reduce our direct CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030. Encouraging sustainable mobility among our employees is an important step on our journey towards achieving this ambitious target,"
As an added bonus, investing in the bike culture internally pays off in other ways for the business too since employees who cycle have a third fewer sick days than their non-cycling colleagues. People with an active commute are healthier and fitter – and they perform better at work, which ultimately boosts the company's power to innovate too.
