”We had no idea commuter benefits were required or that we could face fines for non-compliance. When we tried to handle it ourselves, we couldn’t reach anyone at the city. Fleet stepped in, took care of our enrollment, and made sure we didn’t have to worry about dealing with government agencies." - Marissa Speak (SHRM-CP), Workplace & Ops @ OCF

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Challenge

Philadelphia’s new commuter benefits mandate, which took effect in January 2023, requires businesses to offer commuter benefits to its employees or risk fines. OCF Realty was initially unaware of this regulation, leaving them vulnerable to significant penalties calculated on a per-day and per-employee basis for non-compliance.

The company urgently needed a solution to achieve compliance before Philadelphia issued another wave of fines. They were also seeking a partner that could stay on top of the constantly evolving compliance landscape and take on the responsibility of monitoring and managing enrollment, lifting the burden off the company’s shoulders.

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Solution

It all began when OCF Realty discovered Fleet’s free online compliance checker, got curious about whether they meet the requirements, and requested a free report. Fleet responded quickly, providing a report that warned of potential non-compliance and outlined possible fines—nearing six figures in OCF Realty's case. One of Fleet's compliance specialists quickly connected with the Philadelphia-based real estate brokerage, walked them through the minefield of regulations, explained their options, guided them through the necessary 8-12steps, and initiated their enrollment process.

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"After speaking with other companies about this regulation, we learned that many larger benefits providers aren’t familiar with these specific rules. Since commuter benefits are Fleet's bread and butter, they’re well-versed in mandates across the U.S. and have made it a core part of their business to ensure their customers never have to worry about it again." - Marissa Speak (SHRM-CP), Workplace & Ops @ OCF

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Results

By partnering with Fleet, OCF Realty successfully navigated Philadelphia’s new commuter benefits mandate, avoiding $72,000 in fines and ensuring ongoing compliance. Not only did Fleet handle the enrollment process, saving us hours of hassle and phone calls with local agencies, but they also ensured that the company wouldn’t have to worry about future enrollments and evolving commuter benefits regulations, providing peace of mind for the long term.

In addition to ensuring compliance, the program also benefited OCF Realty in a couple of other ways by increasing employees' annual take-home pay, boosting employee satisfaction as they could now take advantage of commuter benefits. Furthermore, the company’s bottom line improved, saving $23,868 in pre-tax dollars, which helped offset the program’s costs.