Can employer discipline employee for standard of driving off site

Gavlaar

So I work on a UK site for a large multinational firm, they are very hot on health and safety which is commendable however I wanted opinions on a recent incident which was reported as a near miss before Xmas.

Colleague informed me that they had left work the previous night following a couple of cars out of the main gate which they claimed then raced each other through the local village at high speed. Neither of the two cars were company cars nor had any visible affiliation with the business.

My colleague then told me that they had taken the registrations of both cars, then the next day had searched the staff car parks (is a very large site) to find the two cars, then report their standard of driving via a near miss form to the relevant managers in the local site departments.

I know all this as it was shared as a near miss in a weekly safety meeting, the manager saying that if that was their standard of driving off site then imagine what their behaviour would be like at work. And that both had incurred some form of discipline/talking to by their managers regards their standards of driving.

I was quite surprised when I heard the outcome as I fully understand that if a person is driving a company car or representing the business then absolutely, but a near miss/discipline for an alleged driving infraction outside of work in a private car?

TELLIT01

I don't think it unreasonable for an employer to raise the issue with an employee if that employee also has the use of company vehicles. If somebody is prepared to drive recklessly in their own vehicle it's not beyond the bounds of possibility they would do the same in a company vehicle. A warning may stop them driving like that in future.

Gavlaar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890334#Comment_81890334

From what I understand neither employee was near the level of seniority to qualify for a company vehicle and neither would have access to a company vehicle for example a pool car.

saajan_12

Yes. Just take a look at one of many headlines where senior employees are fired for fraudulent or otherwise inappropriate behaviour outside work. Eg stealing sandwiches, jumping train station barriers without paying, interpersonal relationships only acted on outside work, etc.

Gavlaar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890349#Comment_81890349

Neither were senior employees at the business - shop floor workers.

And I appreciate your comments regards the other matters but theft is a criminal offence whilst the subjective standard of driving is not.

Altior

If the anti-social behaviour as such is linked to employees' attendance on site, speaking to them about it is justified in my view. Formal action would be contingent on their terms of employment. But generally yes, if I had staff travelling in or out via a village, and it was reported that they were doing something inappropriate whilst doing that, I would at the very least have an informal conversation.

Gavlaar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890393#Comment_81890393

What about corroborating, factual evidence for example to deliver this outcome. Rather then the heresay of another employee.

Altior

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890406#Comment_81890406

At this point it's completely informal, you're just asking them if they know anything about it, and if so, what their side of the story is. In my experience, that is usually enough.

There are conditions now that can explicitly cover 'representing the company in public'. Wearing uniform or a badge for example (when allegedly behaving badly).

I feel the key takeout is that if something like that came to my attention, I wouldn't ignore it. I wouldn't want to take it formal either. Not on the first occasion.

MattMattMattUK

Why do you want to excuse or dismiss this kind of behaviour?

Nearlyold

Bad behaviour inside or outside work may come under an employers "Bringing the Company into Disrepute" clause in the employment contract

Gavlaar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890458#Comment_81890458

I'm trying to have a coherent debate and canvas opinion.