Essential travel

bigadaj

interested in people's opinions.
I'm leaving my employer in mid May and have quite extensive IT kit to return from a home office. They have asked that I drive this back to their office, I'm in the Midlands and office is in home counties, around 80 miles each way mainly on motorway. They will supply me with a letter saying this is a key worker activity but I don't think it is; having been stuck at home for two weeks now then a day trip out quite appeals but I have concerns about restrictions on travel and fines. I work in construction and some sites are still working but the majority are on stop. I was expecting a courier to come and collect and deliver and have said this but they are insistent just wondered what other opinions might be. 

Comms69

Legally, you're travelling for work and therefore covered under the exemptions. 
But you could ask the employer to ensure they will pay any FPN you get if you want to. 

bap98189

You would be driving to commute to and from work, something that millions of people are still doing every day. Aside from shops, pubs etc. there is no law telling any business to stop working.

Most construction sites have only stopped because the house builders don't want to spend money building houses they cannot sell.

TELLIT01

It's an interesting question.  Do you normally split your time between the main office (80 miles away) and working from home, or do you work from a home office all the time?  If you normally work from home, I would question whether returning kit could be classed as essential travel.

Comms69

TELLIT01 said:

It's an interesting question.  Do you normally split your time between the main office (80 miles away) and working from home, or do you work from a home office all the time?  If you normally work from home, I would question whether returning kit could be classed as essential travel.

That isnt what the law says. The law allows for travel, for the purposes of work which cannot be done at home. The OP is being paid to transport equipment.

'Essential travel' is not even wording in the law. It's guidance issued by the PM - which is most defintely not law. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/regulation/6/made

bigadaj

Thanks all, I was a bit conflicted so useful to hear people's opinions. I'm fundamentally home based in the role, so only attending meetings in the main office every few weeks in addition to meetings with clients at their offices, site visits etc I had considered requesting that this is reviewed and confirmed by the firms legal dept as acceptable and as noted above requested that i be indemnified or reimbursed for any fines that might be incurred.

gettingtheresometime

bap98189 said:

You would be driving to commute to and from work, something that millions of people are still doing every day. Aside from shops, pubs etc. there is no law telling any business to stop working.

Most construction sites have only stopped because the house builders don't want to spend money building houses they cannot sell.

Or, in my experience, because the raw materials have either jumped in price or more likely become scarce 

kazwookie

Can you pack the items up and ask the office to arrange for which ever courier they use to collect?

Savvy_Sue

Get a quote for a courier to do it, compare that to your mileage - would you claim the mileage normally - and see what the difference is. 

Stigy

You don't have to be a Ley worker to travel. You are allowed to travel for work if you can't work from home, which clearly, this is a case of.

lisyloo

Stigy said:

You don't have to be a Ley worker to travel. You are allowed to travel for work if you can't work from home, which clearly, this is a case of.

Not it isn't. They aren't traveling FOR work.