Can an employer insist an employee uses their own car for Business?

Helvetica_Van_Buren

If the company requires employees to use a vehicle to get to jobs, they really ought to provide it.

As an employer I would never dream of telling my staff they had to provide a car to use during business hours - as long as they get to work on time it's not my business how they achieve that.

agrinnall

Helvetica_Van_Buren wrote: »

If the company requires employees to use a vehicle to get to jobs, they really ought to provide it.

As an employer I would never dream of telling my staff they had to provide a car to use during business hours - as long as they get to work on time it's not my business how they achieve that.

Although it's not spelled out it's pretty clear that the requirement is for the car to be used during the working day rather than for getting to and from work, the fact that mileage is paid rules out commuting. There are plenty of jobs where the use of your own car is a requirement of the job, and I'd agree with Takman that failing to get a replacement car within 3 weeks is a poor effort - I could walk out of the door and have a car in a couple of hours if I wanted to.

jobbingmusician

It's actually a great time of year to buy a new car (or at least it WAS, last week) as salesmen have targets to achieve before the end of the financial year. Is he looking for new or second hand?

What actually is the problem with buying a car? If finance, can the employer not organise a loan? Although I understand that HMRC rules mean that employer loans cannot be interest free, this might unblock the problem, perhaps?

xapprenticex

Your friend is being taken for a MUG

Helvetica_Van_Buren

agrinnall wrote: »

Although it's not spelled out

Why not spell it out? Why be vague about it and create confusion? Why not resource your staff appropriately instead of being a vague, terrible employer hoping your staff will provide their own (insured) car if you drop enough hints? Why not just get it right from the beginning?

Helvetica_Van_Buren

jobbingmusician wrote: »

What actually is the problem with buying a car?

They might not want to buy a car,. They might not need a car to get to work. If the company needs them to be operating a car during the day they should supply it.

Presuming we aren't talking about being self-employed, if they needed a computer to do their job the company would be expected to supply it.

Road-sweepers aren't expected to supply their own sweeping brushes. McDonald's workers aren't expected to turn up with bags of beefburgers and slices of cheese.

Why is an insured roadworthy vehicle for work use any different?

What don't people understand about this?

agrinnall

Helvetica_Van_Buren wrote: »

Why not spell it out? Why be vague about it and create confusion? Why not resource your staff appropriately instead of being a vague, terrible employer hoping your staff will provide their own (insured) car if you drop enough hints? Why not just get it right from the beginning?

Why not address your complaints directly to the OP? I was simply pointing out that I felt your assumptions were in error.

Undervalued

Helvetica_Van_Buren wrote: »

They might not want to buy a car,. They might not need a car to get to work. If the company needs them to be operating a car during the day they should supply it.

Presuming we aren't talking about being self-employed, if they needed a computer to do their job the company would be expected to supply it.

Road-sweepers aren't expected to supply their own sweeping brushes. McDonald's workers aren't expected to turn up with bags of beefburgers and slices of cheese.

Why is an insured roadworthy vehicle for work use any different?

What don't people understand about this?

It is irrelevant what "people" understand about this!

Whether you like it or not, it is perfectly lawful for an employer to make it a condition of employment that you use your own vehicle in exchange for mileage. It is not that uncommon. There are other examples too, chefs often have their own knives and many traditional tradesmen, even on PAYE, use their own tools.

As I pointed out early on the OP's colleague is not in a strong position to argue. He was employed on those terms and, in any case, with less than two years' employment he can be dismissed for no reason at all.

I agree he sounds to be getting a pretty poor deal but that is what he signed up to.

Helvetica_Van_Buren

agrinnall wrote: »

Why not address your complaints directly to the OP? I was simply pointing out that I felt your assumptions were in error.

The OP didn't quote me - you did.

agrinnall

Helvetica_Van_Buren wrote: »

The OP didn't quote me - you did.

Yes, because I felt you were wrong. I can't do anything about the lack of clarity, only the OP can do that. So leave me out of it.