Mat leave / company car

summer1982

Not sure where to post this but hopefully you guys can help with this..

I gave up my company car in December when going on maternity leave to save as much money as possible, however I am really struggling with out it Am I allowed to ask for it back? I am not due back until July and I am waiting on an answer for them regarding my hours as I have asked to go back 4 days rather than 5.

I need a car for the work I do as I am out of the office daily on appointments but would I still be entitled to a company car if I am not doing full time?

If anyone has had the same experience I would love to know. My mind works over time and I am sat at home while the baby is sleeping thinking thinking thinking...worrying worrying worrying

The_Next_Verse

You would have to check your companies terms and conditions but I know that ours allows you to keep your company car throughout Mat leave.

OrkneyStar

summer1982 wrote: »

Not sure where to post this but hopefully you guys can help with this..

I gave up my company car in December when going on maternity leave to save as much money as possible, however I am really struggling with out it Am I allowed to ask for it back? I am not due back until July and I am waiting on an answer for them regarding my hours as I have asked to go back 4 days rather than 5.

I need a car for the work I do as I am out of the office daily on appointments but would I still be entitled to a company car if I am not doing full time?

If anyone has had the same experience I would love to know. My mind works over time and I am sat at home while the baby is sleeping thinking thinking thinking...worrying worrying worrying

Will you need it for work related, or personal things, while on Maternity Leave ? Is the person covering your maternity leave using it ?

ginvzt

It depends on the company. I think in my company you are entitled to the company car during the first 39 weeks (when you get SMP), but then not for the rest of it. But i might be wrong - can't check at the moment.

Mupette

harsh as it sounds (really sorry)

So you want the company car so you can get out and about for personal use?

Is there a reason why you cannot use public transport? (please don't say because of baby and buggy - women have been doing the bus thing for donkey's years)

If it is for work purpose then i expect they will be ok.
But if it is just for ease and comfort and conviencence in your personal life....


Sorry i did warn about harshness (Having MS doesnt help when trying to say something and can't get the words right)

Flyboy152

I don't understand what the cost change would have been to you had if you kept the compnay car?

CL

Maternity regulations say that no company benefit can be taken off you when you are on maternity leave. This includes a company car or fuel. Do you mean you gave it back to save on tax? If you are on SMP only, you will not be taxed after week 7 I believe? Did you sign anything when you handed the car back? If not I would assume they would have to let you have it back.

Clarieloo

This is interesting to me because I have a company car and will be going on mat leave later this year. It is my understanding that while you are still employed you are still entitled to all the same benefits you were beforehand. Therefore you get to keep your car. If you choose not to take the car, in my company you can opt for a car allowance instead.

Why you wouldn't want to keep the car - well I pay a small fortune in tax but for me its worth it.

Flyboy152

Clarieloo wrote: »

This is interesting to me because I have a company car and will be going on mat leave later this year. It is my understanding that while you are still employed you are still entitled to all the same benefits you were beforehand. Therefore you get to keep your car. If you choose not to take the car, in my company you can opt for a car allowance instead.

Why you wouldn't want to keep the car - well I pay a small fortune in tax but for me its worth it.

But if you are not earning over eight thousand five hundred pounds (inclusive of benefits) you won't pay any tax on it.

Mice_Elf

Before I had my first daughter, I was in a very well-paid job that came with a company car. I was allowed to keep it throughout my time on normal maternity leave & then the extended 6 months thereafter. I only handed it back when they made me redundant (essentially - they re-organised the job structure because there was no one who could do the job I was doing & got rid of my role - not boasting, just long story & poor structure within the company. I'd only been doing the job 3 weeks when I found out I was pregnant.)
So yes, you can keep your car, but if you've handed it back, then it may have been re-issued, depending on if the company's large enough to keep a car "just in case" or have saved money by handing it back.

How long has it been since you handed it back?

summer1982

It was a completley irrational penny pinching desicion on my part and I am really angry at myself for not thinking it through :mad:

We don't have a lot of money and I had to save really hard for my maternity leave, but while I am on it I want to enjoy it. At the moment I feel trapped in my house as I can't get anywhere. Of course I could get buses but the only place I want to go is my mum and dads (my dad has MS and cant leave the house, he would love to see his granddaughter more), but it would cost more in buses than it would to buy a cheap little run around for a few months (they live in a different town and I have done the maths).

My question was just do my company have to give me the car back if I ask for it seeing as the contract I am employed on, regardless of the fact I am currently on mat leave, has the benefit of a company car.