Bike parking facilities and changing rooms should be as common as printers and coffee machines in offices and companies should consider incentive schemes to get people to cycle to work.

That’s the message from Sustrans which claims more facilities making it convenient for people to ride to work would save UK businesses £13bn through reduced sick days and boosted productivity.

According to figures from the charity, which launched its Support Cycling to Work campaign today, a sick day costs the employer almost £260 a day. The average worker who doesn’t cycle to the office takes 4.5 days off while cyclists, claim the charity, take off less than 2.5 days a year.

Sustrans has created a petition calling on the UK government to set up a common cycle-to-work standard with access on information to help unlock the economic benefits of pedal power. Among the measures the charity is calling for incentivised cycle to work schemes, lockers and bike parking at UK businesses.

Sustrans Chief Executive Malcolm Shepherd said: "Cycle parking and showers in an office should be as common as a printer and a coffee machine and by introducing a ‘cycle-to-work standard’ governments would be taking the first steps to making this a reality."

To sign the petition, visit www.sustrans.org.uk/cycletowork