Do I need to pay for damage??

Undervalued

Guest101 wrote: »

Your employer is liable to the customer and needs to repair it - that is without question.


your employer needs to mitigate their loss, so is the repair is £700, and insurance claim is £500, they can only pursue you for the lower amount - if they can pursue you at all.

No, the OP said the excess on the employer's policy was £500 which is why they didn't want to make a £700 claim (and presumably pay higher premiums in future). So the employer would be at least £500 out of pocket, probably more.

Technically that is not the OP's problem and as has been stated they cannot lawfully pursue him for any of it unless there is a clause in his contract. However, in the real world....

fred78

Just dust sheets for dirt.
I wouldn't accept a patch up job myself

Takeaway_Addict

fred78 wrote: »

Just dust sheets for dirt.
I wouldn't accept a patch up job myself

Dust sheets that would have saved the carpet?

How long have you worked there?

Fosterdog

Your employer really should provide you with a proper heat protection mat for such things. My plumber uses a soldering mat to keep the hot torch on whilst doing work, it's not huge (about 1ft squared) but enough to protect the dust sheet and whatever is under it. I'm sure there would be bigger ones more suitable available.

z1a

Glad my employer doesn't try this on - "You've just scrapped a part for the Airbus - that'll cost you £200k."

dacouch

Fosterdog wrote: »

Your employer really should provide you with a proper heat protection mat for such things. My plumber uses a soldering mat to keep the hot torch on whilst doing work, it's not huge (about 1ft squared) but enough to protect the dust sheet and whatever is under it. I'm sure there would be bigger ones more suitable available.

Such precautions are almost certainly a requirement of a Public Liability Policy for a plumber or for any other trade using heat as part of their trade.

They minimise the risk of a fire or the type of accident the OP has been involved in

Geoff1963

Either the employer should provide suitable equipment, or take the risk of having to pay for damage. The company could take disciplinary action for negligence, but probably only if the equipment was provided and not used.

Assuming the OP is having a long career, £700 would be a tiny percentage of the total salary bill ; and could easily give the OP a very slightly less than standard pay rise to recover the loss. They could mention it at the end of year assessment, or not at all.