Stiffed by my employer

sangie595

Benji wrote: »

However (and nothing to do with the original query) it's not all that fair to expect someone to get home at 5am and be in work alone 5 hours later. I can boogie with the best, but at 50+ more than 3 hours beauty sleep is appreciated

Can I assume that there was no compulsion in this - you could choose to go to the party or not, you knew the venue before you set out, and could have either not gone, or stayed sober and driven yourself home? You presumably also knew your start time at work the next day... It does seem that you think that this comes down to everyone else, and has nothing to do with you or decisions that you made. What "isn't fair"?

Comms69

Benji wrote: »

On 16th Dec, got treated to a fabulous Xmas 'do' by my company.

It was 50+ miles away from home, so the company paid for a taxi to transport my manager, myself and 2 junior staff to the location.

Timings were in the hands of my manager, and he elected (without consultation) to choose a return pick-up at 3am (even though one of us had to be in work 9:50 following morning).

Anyway, long story short - after meal, juniors tired - wanted to go home. Manager paralytic, couldn't even get into his phone to call the cab company to bring collection forward.

Spoke on phone to 'General Manager' (also !!!!ed) who authorised me to get a local cab to take us back home. My manager did get in this cab but got out at traffic lights a few mins later and apparently got the cab which had been originally booked.

Now trying to get the £100+ taxi fare back from the company. General manager flatly denying approving - even though I have 2 witnessed who could hear my side if the conversation AND, I can prove the call took place. The juniors and my manager have agreed to contribute but I don't think I, nor the juniors, should bear any cost for this.

So, advice or opinions? Should I just let it go? I did get a good meal and maybe, being 25 years older than the others, I am meant to act like their father?

(To rub it in, GM lost her jacket - it was me who looked after it / got it back to her!!!)

In many cases a person who is drunk cannot enter into a contract. So I would say that even if she had agreed, I don't think it would stand up in a claim situation.


With that said, there was a previous agreement that the company would pay, so perhaps you could claim the cost the company would have paid were the original cab bought forward?

Malthusian

With that said, there was a previous agreement that the company would pay, so perhaps you could claim the cost the company would have paid were the original cab bought forward?

But it wasn't brought forward. It was used at the appointed time, which is what the company paid for. Apparently (and the story gets a bit weird here) the manager took it home. (After getting in the OP's new cab, getting out a few minutes later at some traffic lights, walking back to the party - possibly a good mile or more depending on how far the taxi got in "a few minutes" - and then taking the original cab several hours later?) Why should the company pay for a second £100 cab if - as the General Manager claims - they never agreed to?

Incidentally, the fact that the manager took the original cab home at 3am makes the OP's theory in post #8 that they may have been stranded even if they'd waited until 3am (because they didn't know where to meet the taxi) moot. Firstly, the manager did sober up enough to find the 3am taxi. Secondly, even if he hadn't sobered up by 3am (maybe he needed that mile-long walk back from the traffic lights), it seems a pretty safe bet that the pick up point was somewhere near the front door of the venue where all the other employees were meeting their taxis. Plus the taxi driver would have rung the manager's phone, and if he was still paralytic, you can answer somebody's mobile without needing their passcode.

So the argument OP seems be aiming at here, which is "we needed to book a taxi because we couldn't rely on the 3am one" is not really tenable. Nothing was stopping them taking the 3am taxi except that they wanted to go home earlier. Which is perfectly reasonable. But in all probability the company would have told them to pay for it themselves even if they'd sorted it out in advance.

Comms69

Malthusian wrote: »

But it wasn't brought forward. It was used at the appointed time, which is what the company paid for. - I agree. it was simply a compromise that may work. Apparently (and the story gets a bit weird here) the manager took it home. (After getting in the OP's new cab, getting out a few minutes later at some traffic lights, walking back to the party - possibly a good mile or more depending on how far the taxi got in "a few minutes" - and then taking the original cab several hours later?) Why should the company pay for a second £100 cab if - as the General Manager claims - they never agreed to? - I suspect the pre-booked service wasn't £100

Incidentally, the fact that the manager took the original cab home at 3am makes the OP's theory in post #8 that they may have been stranded even if they'd waited until 3am (because they didn't know where to meet the taxi) moot. Firstly, the manager did sober up enough to find the 3am taxi. Secondly, even if he hadn't sobered up by 3am (maybe he needed that mile-long walk back from the traffic lights), it seems a pretty safe bet that the pick up point was somewhere near the front door of the venue where all the other employees were meeting their taxis. Plus the taxi driver would have rung the manager's phone, and if he was still paralytic, you can answer somebody's mobile without needing their passcode.

So the argument OP seems be aiming at here, which is "we needed to book a taxi because we couldn't rely on the 3am one" is not really tenable. Nothing was stopping them taking the 3am taxi except that they wanted to go home earlier. Which is perfectly reasonable. But in all probability the company would have told them to pay for it themselves even if they'd sorted it out in advance.

I'm inclined to agree with you. It's simply a compromise idea from both employee and employer. Leaving no bad taste for either side

System

So, let me get this straight:

1) You were offered a free taxi ride on top of your meal etc. which suited YOU as you then didn't have to pay.
2) You agreed to leave at 3am to 'cash' in this obvious perk
3) Despite it being free and arranged for a specific time, YOU weren't happy to hang around so when YOU were fed up at the party, YOU tried your best to get the time moved to suit yourself but couldn't.
4) When YOU couldn't move the time to suit yourself, and despite having a free taxi booked, free do food etc. YOU then asked another manager (who was drunk) if the company would pay for a fresh taxi just because YOU wanted to go home early.
5) Any now you're moaning about YOU having to pay for it yourself?

Sounds like YOU got a good deal to me - suck it up.