Company car return

purpleozzie1

Hi I left my job about 6 weeks ago. I had a 3 month notice period but I managed to negotiate them to 6 weeks.. They immediately put me in gardening leave..

They emailed me during the garden leave to say I had a week of holiday left and had to take it during the gardening leave and what dates would k like for this holiday..

I emailed back to say this week with holiday finishing on Friday, my official last day of employment.. I got no reply.. I then emailed them last week to ask what they want me to do with the company car.. My old boss emailed me to say can I drop it off on Friday..

I'd rather they pick it up as there offices are miles away in the middle of nowhere so it'll take all day to get there and make my own way back.. I'm also now officially on holiday that day..

Do I have to take it back?? What if I'd actually taken that holiday as holiday and was away somewhere.. They've had 6 weeks to sort this out..

Thanks,

Brynsam

purpleozzie1 wrote: »

Do I have to take it back?? What if I'd actually taken that holiday as holiday and was away somewhere..

Does your contract say anything about being responsible for returning the car to them? If not, e-mail back, point out you are on holiday that day but will make a point of being at home if they can confirm a rough time when they would like to collect the car as it will not be possible (don't elaborate why) for you to return it to their offices.

You aren't away so don't waste time pondering hypothetical situations.

ohreally

Since your on a/l and this is work related activity, I'd put the onus on them to make the return arrangements. As you say they've had 6 weeks to sort out.

Comms69

A sensible middle ground is to drop it off at a public transport station, that way both parties have relatively easy access

TBagpuss

In fairness, you had six weeks to sort it out as well!

Check your contract, but it would normally be reasonable to ensure that you had returned all company property to your employer by the time your employment ends.

If you had been planning to go away on holiday you could have arranged to drop the car of before you left.

ReadingTim

What do you want them to do? You don't seriously think you can keep the car do you...?

And where did you pick it up from? If it was delivered to your home, it's not too unreasonable to ask for it to be collected from there too. But if you picked it up from the office, well, it's not unreasonable to be expected to return it there too. Plus, you managed to get yourself there before you collected it, so the reverse journey should be equally manageable... .

bap98189

The details will be in your contract, but you almost certainly will have to return the car to your employer. Instead of looking for a fight, why not agree to do so but ask if someone can then drop you off at a train station.

purpleozzie1

Why do people jump to conclusions and think I want to keep the car..

They gave to let me kept the car until the end of my contract ie throughout gardening leave.. I pick up new company car on Monday.. The point is it’ll be a pain to drop it off and quite frankly I can’t be bothered, I’ve got better things to do on my Final day off..

Just want advice on whether I should just refuse and put the onus on them to pick up.. thanks Brynsam and comms69 for sensible, non judgemental advice.. I like the idea of meeting them at a train station so I don’t burn any bridges..

gettingtheresometime

My take is that if you had still been working then you would have had to make arrangements to get home, having left the car presumably at their offices.

TELLIT01

purpleozzie1 wrote: »

The point is it’ll be a pain to drop it off and quite frankly I can’t be bothered, I’ve got better things to do on my Final day off..

They have allowed you to keep the car until the very end and that's how you thank them! Unless there is anything in your contract to the contrary they could have taken the car back when you were put on garden leave. There is fault on both sides in not getting the return of the car sorted sooner but you should at least be offering to meet them half way (literally or metaphorically)

Undervalued

TELLIT01 wrote: »

They have allowed you to keep the car until the very end and that's how you thank them! Unless there is anything in your contract to the contrary they could have taken the car back when you were put on garden leave. There is fault on both sides in not getting the return of the car sorted sooner but you should at least be offering to meet them half way (literally or metaphorically)

Not if it is a contractual benefit, as is most likely the case. It was the company's choice to insist on garden leave. The OP was willing to work his notice so is entitled to all of the benefits he would have received had he been allowed to do so.

Had the firm been smart they would have not allowed the last working day to have been holiday and insisted that was used up slightly earlier. They could then have insisted the OP attended work on the last day, at least for long enough to return the car. How he finally got home would then have been his problem!