Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask my boss to pay up for carpooling?

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...
My boss (who doesn't drive) often asks me for a lift to work. It only adds a few miles to my journey but the cost over a year is a fair bit. He obviously earns a lot more than me and has never offered to contribute to fuel costs. Should I risk asking him?

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Comments

  • Takeaway_Addict
    Takeaway_Addict Posts: 6,538
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    Yes.


    The end.
    Don't trust a forum for advice. Get proper paid advice. Any advice given should always be checked
  • marliepanda
    marliepanda Posts: 7,186 Forumite
    No.

    The end.

    Oh well I guess we!!!8217;ll never truly know.
  • MSE_Sarah wrote: »
    Unfortunately the MSE team can't always answer money moral dilemma questions as contributions are often emailed in or suggested in person. They are intended to be enjoyed....

    Have you not realised yet that nobody enjoys them then?
  • sangie595
    sangie595 Posts: 6,092 Forumite
    Have you not realised yet that nobody enjoys them then?
    So the Forum team think that people's employment is entertainment??

    That explains a lot....
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 6,829
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    If this was a real situation and you had never bothered to say anything before then you should not be bothering now.

    On the other hand as soon as it became more than a couple of times I would have said it will cost you 45p a mile! Take it or leave it!
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • stampychan
    stampychan Posts: 32 Forumite
    Save money on your electricity bill by not replying to MSE Moral Dilemmas just to complain about the dilemma or kick off about some backroom drama or beef you have with the MSE team. If you don’t like it, stop reading. Save your energy.

    OP: I think you should ask. If your boss is reasonable, they’ll chip in.
  • I was in a similar situation a few years ago - I lived in Leeds but our office was in Bradford. A new person joined the company (I was a junior and she was a senior) and happened to live near me. I was asked if I could give her a lift into work and I obliged, not asking for any money, It only added a few miles to my trip, but after the first couple of weeks, when it became apparent that it was going to be a "free ride" and nothing had been offered, I asked her to contribute to the journey - at the equivalent cost of £2 a day for a return trip (this was less than one train fare that would have only got her part of the way. My petrol bill at the time was around £30-£40 a week, so I felt it was a fair amount. I was told that "I was going that way anyway and so it wasn't costing me anything" - forgetting the obvious costs of purchasing MY car, paying for insurance, maintenance, road tax. In addition, the public transport route would take around 60-90 minutes vs a 30 minute car journey. Yes, the additional cost of taking her was a negligible increase in fuel, but the benefit she received (5-10 hours of commuting saved for less than the cost of public transport) outweighed this cost massively in her favour.

    I stuck to my guns and she backed down. If she had offered me something (e.g a fiver) towards the journey, I would have probably told her not to worry and done it for free. The thing that got me was that it was expected that I would do it for free and because I had a car, apparently I could afford it.
  • Giraffe76
    Giraffe76 Posts: 140
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    Hi,


    First of all im sorry to hear you are in this situation as i think its a terrible position to find yourself in.



    I would just politely ask your boss for A weekly money payment explaining about the maintenance costs, tax, mot and rising weekly fuel costs and say you are on a budget and are struggling.


    If they are a decent and understanding person then they will be ok with this..if not they will look for another means of getting to work


    Hope this helps
    kind regards Mark
  • scd3scd4
    scd3scd4 Posts: 1,180
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    I use to get a lift for a year or so a long way back....over 20 years. The wife used the car and running two was expensive.


    I worked out what the daily petrol bill was and offered half. I just put the money in the not used ash tray once a week and said....thank you very much. I was always early so he did not have to wait. We worked together and he was going passed where I lived............so what. He was doing me a big favour and I was grateful.


    I still remember him, he was a quietly spoken lovely man named Harry.................and after a while I started to enjoy the Asian music he played for the 35 minute journey. ;-]
  • coloquil
    coloquil Posts: 10 Forumite
    hi,
    yes you should ask but the reply will probably annoy you i used to drive my line manager from dover to Ramsgate and go about 6 miles out of my way and he thought just because i had the firms van it was my right, baloney mind you he was scotch lol :rotfl:
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