How late in the day is it reasonable to expect staff to travel by public transport?

Mockingjays

I'd be interested in other people's views here .... How late in the day is reasonable for an employer to expect staff to travel by public transport?

Occasionally we have to travel to different locations for work purposes for evening meetings and I don't drive. I knew this was part of the job, and the way it was described at interview was that there would be travel and occasional overnight stays. My employer knew I didn't drive and all seemed fine. There was no mention at interview of being expected to travel by train at 11pm at night

I'm a petite female and not comfortable walking alone through strange towns and cities, hanging around train stations and travelling from places from 9.00pm onwards. Usually leaving at this time would mean arriving home between 11pm-12am. I have always stayed overnight in these places.

Now my employer -after I've been there and doing this for several years - is getting shirty with me because some people in my department are happy to travel around on trains at 11pm, 12am at night. I'm concerned about my personal safety, I wouldn't feel safe, and I'm worried about my employer suddenly expecting me to start travelling late at night.

What do people think? Is there a suggested time at night when it's reasonable to expect lone females to travel around on public transport?

theoretica

For me it depends on the city - some are still alive and crowded at midnight. Others I am definitely taking a taxi! Would your employer be happier paying taxis than overnight?

Janey7

As another petite female, personally I have no problem with taking a train at any time of night, as long as I am catching it from a town or city station where station staff are on duty. However, I expect my employer to then pay for a connecting taxi to take me to my house from the station, instead of expecting me to hang around for a night bus.

If you are wanting a blanket ban on taking any public transport after 9 pm full stop, I think that would sound very combative to an employer. It is completely normal for many business people travelling in and out of central London around 9-11 pm to still use the tube, for example.

It would probably help if you can show your employer you've thought carefully about each individual location you're expected to go to, and why one could reasonably consider it unsafe / significantly inconvenient for you to take public transport after a certain time. I.e., I am uncomfortable with using public transport in City X because the meeting is taking place in a rough part of town / I would have to wait for 1 hour at an unmanned train station etc.

ohreally

Has your employer conducted a risk assesement taking into account all the factors you've described?

Do they have a lone working policy, does it help you progress with your concerns?

FBaby

I don't think being 'petite' puts you at any more risk. I am petite myself and wouldn't feel threatened travelling on a train on my own at these times. I would probably take a taxi home though (although not forcibly, it would depend on the time 11am vs 2pm and day tuesday vs busy friday night).

Mockingjays

There isn't a lone working policy unfortunately, and also no risk assessments have been done.

I don't have an issue with London as it's busy, it's more little stations in the sticks where the tickets offices are closed and no staff in sight that are of concern.

If they'd said at interview 'we expect you take public transport late at night from deserted stations' then I wouldn't have taken the job. The fact is that only now after several years they seem to be changing their expectations, and this seems strange to me.

burnoutbabe

i'd think it reasonable for them to pay for a taxi when you arrive back at an unmanned station to get you home (and you'd have to probably phone to arrange one to meet you if no taxi rank)

expecting you to get a train back starting at 11 would be out of order, as that very dodgy in terms of missing one and not getting home. then i'd expect a hotel overnight. But do meetings often finish at 11pm? i'd have more of an issue with that (unless i knew it was an evening job)

Mockingjays

The meetings tend to finish between 9-10pm, and it's when I'd even be starting out from stations that aren't manned where I'm concerned.

In these situations I've stayed overnight and until now it hasn't been a problem. It just doesn't make sense and feels like they're moving goalposts.

I am looking for another job anyway due to have a bullying boss so hopefully something will come along soon and I can just get out.

Dunroamin

If there's public transport running then it's reasonable to expect staff to use it.

I'm afraid that I think that your attitude does women in the workplace a great disservice.

burnoutbabe

i'd be asking at a minimum for a taxi to the nearest manned station then. else you have no options when the one train an hour doesn't turn up. Are there not other people with you who could not drop you somewhere more busy?

it does sound like a job where a car is needed (rural work?)

eschaton

Mockingjays wrote: »

I'd be interested in other people's views here .... How late in the day is reasonable for an employer to expect staff to travel by public transport?

Occasionally we have to travel to different locations for work purposes for evening meetings and I don't drive. I knew this was part of the job, and the way it was described at interview was that there would be travel and occasional overnight stays. My employer knew I didn't drive and all seemed fine. There was no mention at interview of being expected to travel by train at 11pm at night

I'm a petite female and not comfortable walking alone through strange towns and cities, hanging around train stations and travelling from places from 9.00pm onwards. Usually leaving at this time would mean arriving home between 11pm-12am. I have always stayed overnight in these places.

Now my employer -after I've been there and doing this for several years - is getting shirty with me because some people in my department are happy to travel around on trains at 11pm, 12am at night. I'm concerned about my personal safety, I wouldn't feel safe, and I'm worried about my employer suddenly expecting me to start travelling late at night.

What do people think? Is there a suggested time at night when it's reasonable to expect lone females to travel around on public transport?

How about learning to drive?