BEND, OR -- Central Oregon employers are getting creative in how they attract new workers and address rising costs for existing staff. One company is shelling out cash.
"With the rising prices of gas here in Bend - not only Bend but Oregon and across our footprint - it’s really having a significant financial impact on employees," says First Interstate Bank Vice Presient Eliescha Stone. First Interstate started providing a gas stipend last month to employees making less than $65,000 a year. "It’s now $65 per pay period, which equates to $130 a month," says Stone, "This is ongoing through June. At that point, we’re going to reassess based on if gas prices continue to rise, if our employees are still experiencing this." Stone tells KBND News, while some companies allow employees to work from home to alleviate fuel costs, bank tellers and other staff are needed to make sure branches open every day.
According to Stone, the idea started with the CEO, "He was going and getting gas in his truck and he started thinking about one of our employees who was commuting - their drive was an hour and a half every day. And he thought 'wow, they have to fill up and we need to help our employees'."
Stone is the Bend Retail Hub Manager, and says the stipend is also helping attract new workers among staffing shortages, "Some of our greatest recruiters are actually our internal employees who are out talking about this. So, it’s worked to the benefit of the bank because they’re doing some of the recruiting."
