Travelling expenses

pleasedtobuy

I am wondering what forum members make of this: I am a factory based employee and my employer is due to locate to a new site. At the moment the new site is being made ready by various contractors (operated under construction site regulations). I have been asked to assist with some projects at this site which I am happy to do (my contract says I may be asked to work at other locations). I have also been aked to travel straight to the new site and start and finish at my normal times from there for a few days a week. Again I had no problem with this even though technically my car insurance only covers me for commuting to and from my regular place of work. By way of some compensation for this risk I made a mileage claim. As I sort of pass my proper workplace en route to the new site I thought it reasonable to claim the difference between the two, as opposed to the whole journey, but even this has been dismissed.
I would think that the cost of travelling to any other location other than where I am based, be it a couple or a hundred miles, should be bourne by the employer. Am I right? Surely an employer can't decide change your work location on a weekly or even daily basis without providing transport or paying expenses?

bluenoseam

"my contract says i may be asked to work at other locations" - lets put it another way for you.

You start working half the hours you currently do and tell your employer you want the same money. Do you think your employer is going to pay you? It's in your contract, some companies will pay a goodwill gesture, but ultimately needs of the business & contractually you are obliged to do so.

lucylucky

bluenoseam wrote: »

"my contract says i may be asked to work at other locations" - lets put it another way for you.

You start working half the hours you currently do and tell your employer you want the same money. Do you think your employer is going to pay you? It's in your contract, some companies will pay a goodwill gesture, but ultimately needs of the business & contractually you are obliged to do so.

Or as it is known - travelling expenses.

If your car insurance does not cover you for these extra journeys you would be better not using it.

If your employer wishes you to work at a place other than your normal place of employment then it is not unreasonable to expect to be paid the extra costs involved in travelling there.

However depending on the costs involved it is up to you whether you wish to have a fight over this.

getmore4less

Mistake you made was not checking in advance.

You are not insured to use your car.

You could take the approach that you have checked your car insurance and can no longer use your own car for the trip to the other site what are they going to do to get you there.


How far extra is it?


What does you contract say about permanent changes of location.

ohreally

Explain you're more than happy to work at other locations however due to the unacceptable current arrangements you wish them to provide the onward means for you getting to the other site.

You're almost certainly not covered by your current car insurance policy.

Sambucus_Nigra

getmore4less wrote: »

You are not insured to use your car.

Not necessarily, for example Direct Line often puts this in without having to ask.

OP - how would you have got there if you didn't have a car? Would they have expected you to walk in your own time?

You work at site A and if they send you to site B then they have to get you there. Usually that's with travel expenses - so mileage or bus/train fares. They know this....and it would have been factored into their calculations.

globalds

Have you spoken to your insurance company yet about your new journey?

I can't see you having any problems with your insurer as you are only driving to your work place , be it on two separate sites.
Lots of people do this from time to time.

I have done something similar and things only became a problem if I drove my own vehicle on company time. Site visits and the such.

whatyadoinsucka

state you will need a hire car to get from your current site to site B.. As you are not insured.

globalds

Am I reading the |OP's post right.

He travels from his home to site A to work.

His business is relocating soon and he is a jump ahead of what everyone will be expected to do every day soon.

He is still driving only to get to his workplace (Which is location .

Will all the staff get paid for travelling to the new factory unit ?

Will they all have to renegotiate with there insurance before they travel to the new unit ?

If neither of these are yes then why should the OP hope or expect anything to be different for themselves ?

whatyadoinsucka

when a company relocates, some companies will pay an allowance for x number of months or years.
i got 20 pence a mile for 2 years (10 miles a day) 9-10 years ago when i relocated.

pleasedtobuy

I am reading the replies with interest and would like to clarify things for Globalds as I take his point entirely. However, the majority of my work is still site A, and will be for the next 8 months at least. I would not expect to be treated differently to all other employees once the move is made, at which time of course there would be no problems with insurance as the workplace would be clearly defined. As I said site B is a building site at present. The difference to me is only 6 miles per day which in a way makes it worse!