Returning car after redundancy 13 October 2019 at 8:00PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Redundancy & Redundancy Planning 17 replies 4.7K views

peterbaker

elsien wrote: »

Why do you want to avoid your old colleagues? There's no shame in redundancy, just one of those things. Unless there's a bit more going on here.

That surmise was unnecessary. Clearly you either have no sensitivity to others feelings, which makes me think your own capability as a business representative is questionable, or you've no experience of redundancy in the private sector except perhaps as someone dishing it out, again without much feeling.

elsien

Ok, that may well not have been particularly well phrased, my apologies.

I have been through the redundancy process and I do know what it's like. I was coming at it from the angle thatl if any previous colleagues were able to help with a lift back somewhere more accessible it could make the return a lot easier for you. Because I didn't have an issue with my colleagues, just the managers around the decision making process. Which is why i asked - if you can get someone you had a halfway decent relationship to help out it might save some strife. That's all.

blue.peter

PS to my earlier thoughts:


Is the car owned by your employer, or leased in? If it's leased, does the leasing company have a depot relatively close to you to which you could return the car?

It's well worth talking to someone at the company and asking questions like this and my earlier ones. People you might try include:
(a) whoever signed your redundancy letter;
(b) your manager;
(c) her or his manager;
(d) whoever you're dealing with in the company's HR department.
(Yes, I know that you said that "I don’t want to see any of my old colleagues". I also realise that there might be some overlap here. I'm just trying to give you something to think over, and hope that this leads you to someone you're willing to talk to and might be able to help. If you're lucky, you might know somebody who'd be willing to lean on the fleet manager, or whoever matters in this context, a bit.)

cajef

When I took a voluntary redundancy package my employer arranged for my company car to be picked up from my home a couple of days after I finished my employment with them.

buggy_boy

My ex employer tried to say I had to return laptop etc 100's of miles away when I was made redundant, I decided it was their laptop and I should not have to pay the cost to return it or the risk associated so simply replied that the laptop would be available to be collected from my house, just let me know when so I can ensure I am in.

They arranged a colleague to collect.

prowla

My opinion is that I would tell them to collect the car, unless it specifically states it must be returned to them in your contract.
It'd also be worth confirming that you are still insured to drive it.
If it's a perk/benefit, then I thought redundancy law was that you keep it to the end of the redundancy. (But cross-check that, don't take my word for it.)
Also, take photos of the car to ensure you have a record of its condition at the point of handover, so you don't get any follow up.
(And don't forget to check all nooks & crannies for anything of yours there! I once left a not-cheap phone holder in a car I sold and only realised after it was gone.)

Mistral001

I assume that the company is paying for the fuel that it takes to drop it off at one of the places they have suggested. Have you asked them to pay for your train/bus fare also? If they will pay for the fuel, surely they will pay for a bus/train ticket