Help Needed With Employers Timesheets

3guk

Hi Guys,

New to this site and employer law so please go easy on me, my company have started introducing lots of new measures, that can only be described as cost cutting and one of these was introduced a few months ago and has really got me annoyed, I'm wondering weather it is legal.

I'm an Engineer out in the Field and as a result every job requires travelling to, these are planned out on my calendar.

My employers have now started claiming a 1.5hours travel time rule, whereby they take 1.5hours a day off of our claimed hours with the reason being that each of the office employees take approx 45mins to get in to work, and 45 to get home.

Surely since my job is purely travelling they can not do this? It seems unfair that whilst I am doing my job (travelling to a site to do the job) that for 1.5hours each day I am effectively working for nothing.

Sorry for the long post, I'm new to this and wanted to be as descriptive as possible.

Cheers

SomeBozo

Do you live 45 mins away from your own base?

How many hours do you work a day (inc and exc travel time?)

the reason being that each of the office employees take approx 45mins to get in to work

Typically employees do not get paid for the travel time and expenses of getting to work.


Bozo

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

It seems reasonable in theory

3guk

Surely the fact that I am a field service engineer negates this factor, I have to travel to each job, sometimes this can be 5 minutes down the road, and sometimes it can take 4 hours.

Since they do not have a Southern Office, I am assuming that my house constitutes as my place of work ? As a result leaving my house in the morning constitutes as a commencement of work ?

HelenYorkshire

If it helps / is comparable, my friend who is based "in the field" officially works from home, so his day starts as soon as he gets in the van...
I think you need to clarify exactly where your "base" is, officially speaking.

3guk

Indeed, I was speaking to a friend who seems to be well versed in this, he suggests that I offer them the choice if they wish to treat me as office staff then:

We need to have a Southern Base, that I have to commute to, a point which remains the same, where I can park my van, I then have to commute to this base every morning using my own mode of transport.I will get to this base at the same time as the office workers arrive at work, and will arrive back at this base at the time at which the office workers leave.

I'm quite happy to do this, even though it inconveniences me greatly, I guess if they want to apply office rules then I should be subject to all of the rules, not just part of them.

Does anyone else have anything to add ?

I appreciate the input guys, I've been reading up on the legalities of it all and it does seem like something is a little foul.

Savvy_Sue

It might be worth reading the HMRC website about claiming for travel expenses, although it doesn't cover the time involved it DOES cover the situations in which you can claim for the costs of travel to and from work. And if you have no fixed base but are always sent to different sites then you CAN claim for the cost of travel.

It would be worth finding out whether he would deduct less from your hours if the average length of time taken to travel to work was suddenly reduced. It seems like a variation of your contract to me - do you have that handy, and what does it say?

getmore4less

If they are just imposing a 1.5hr reduction in your working time and not paying you for it then this looks like a grievence for illegal deduction of wages.

The time other people chose to comute to the office is irrelivent for any individual.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

3guk wrote: »

Indeed, I was speaking to a friend who seems to be well versed in this, he suggests that I offer them the choice if they wish to treat me as office staff then:

We need to have a Southern Base, that I have to commute to, a point which remains the same, where I can park my van, I then have to commute to this base every morning using my own mode of transport.I will get to this base at the same time as the office workers arrive at work, and will arrive back at this base at the time at which the office workers leave.

I'm quite happy to do this, even though it inconveniences me greatly, I guess if they want to apply office rules then I should be subject to all of the rules, not just part of them.

Does anyone else have anything to add ?

I appreciate the input guys, I've been reading up on the legalities of it all and it does seem like something is a little foul.

And if you do insist on being so petty the company will no doubt play you at your own game.

A car park 50 miles away being your base maybe. a nice insecure car park were you car can be stolen from everyday :rolleyes: