Guaranteed Ride Home Program - Employer

One of the most common concerns shared by commuters is being stranded without access to a car. The Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) Program helps alleviate this concern by providing employees who rideshare to work with a reimbursed ride home in the event of a valid emergency.  GRH is a free benefit offered to enrolled employers and their employees who carpool, vanpool, take transit, bicycle, or walk to work.  Employers who have signed up to participate in the GRH Program can confidently encourage employees to leave their cars at home and rideshare to work.

• How does GRH work?
• What qualifies as a valid GRH emergency?
• What does not qualify as a GRH emergency?
• How often can each ridesharing employee use GRH?
• Who pays for GRH?

How does GRH work?

GRH is designed to be as easy to use as possible, with minimal administration.

• The employer worksite must be located in the County of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside or San Bernardino.
• To participate, your company must enroll by completing a Service Agreement (in Los Angeles or Orange Counties) or an Employer Partnership Agreement (in Riverside or San Bernardino Counties) and meet the requirements outlined by each agency. 
• Employers must designate an Employer Representative to administer the GRH Program, agree to adhere to the GRH Guidelines, and distribute materials designed for the program.
• Once the employer enrolls in the GRH Program, all employees who rideshare to work are eligible for the GRH reimbursement.  Employees do not sign up individually.
• The GRH Program allows ridesharing employees to choose the most efficient means to get where they need to go during a qualified emergency.  The GRH Program will reimburse a one-way taxi ride, one-day car rental, or transit ticket (public bus, Metro Rail, or Metrolink) to get them to their destination.
• Depending on your company’s internal GRH policy, either the employer or the employee will pay up-front for the employee’s selected emergency ride.
• If the GRH Program was included in your South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) Rule 2202 Plan as a basic/support strategy, then it is the employer’s responsibility to arrange for the ride and provide a ride home at no out-of-pocket cost to your employees.  You, as the employer, can submit invoices under the GRH Program for reimbursement for all qualified rides without affecting compliance.
• Once the employee provides the employer with a valid receipt from the service provider (taxi/rental car/Metrolink/Metro Rail or transit agency), the employer will complete and submit a GRH Reimbursement Claim Form to the GRH office within 30 days of the GRH usage date.
• The GRH office will review the GRH Reimbursement Claim Form.  Upon approval, the GRH office will send the reimbursement check to the employer, who will then pass the reimbursement on to the appropriate party.

 What qualifies as a valid GRH emergency?

Emergency circumstances that qualify for a reimbursable ride home under the GRH program include:

• Personal illness/emergency
• Unexpected illness/emergency of an immediate family member
• Carpool/vanpool driver has an emergency or unexpected overtime
• Supervisor requires employee to work unscheduled overtime

What does not qualify as a GRH emergency?

Situations which do not qualify as an emergency under the GRH program include:

• Personal errands
• Non-emergency appointments/meetings/doctor visits
• Voluntary overtime
• Public transportation disruptions or delays for any reason
• Termination/Lay-offs
• A ride to work
• Business travel
• Inclement weather
• Any trip where alternate transportation could be arranged in advance
• On-the-job injury
• Breakdown of vanpool that would normally be covered by leasing company

How often can each ridesharing employee use GRH?

Each ridesharing employee can receive the GRH reimbursement up to two (2) times in a 12-month period, based on the employer’s program enrollment or re-enrollment date.

Who pays for GRH?

Either the employer or the employee must pay for the emergency ride upfront.  After submitting a GRH Reimbursement Claim Form, the GRH Program will reimburse the cost for qualified rides directly to the appropriate party.

Guaranteed Ride Home is a regional program and is sponsored by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), Orange County Transportation Authority, Riverside County Transportation Commission, and San Bernardino Associated Governments.

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