charge for using company van at work

[grimysparks80]

Hi all.just looking for a bit of advice. I have been with my current company for just over a year. They are asking us to sign a piece of paper authorising them to deduct £40 a month from our wages to cover any potential damage to our work vans. apparently if our vans are undamaged at the end of the year we will be paid the whole amount back. about £500 over a full year. I have no intention of signing this and was just wondering if anyone had any advice. I am not with a union and plan to call acas tomorrow. the van is only used for work and I consider myself to be at work as soon as I leave my house because I work all over wales without going to our central office. thanks in advance.

 

[Richard Burns]

Therefore write a letter of explanation that the reason for no signature is that you have not been given the details or the time to assess the implications of this requirement. The impact this would have on your personal circumstances would need to be assessed. Written guarantees of the December monetary return, the specific conditions under which it would not be returned (not paid) to the employee, specific details of the payment to be made for the loss of interest on this money being held by the company would all need to be in place.
Alternatives could also be considered, such as an agreement that the excess payable by the company (up to £500) for any repairs to your vehicle that have been proved to be caused by your negligence may be taken from your future pay would need to be considered, but further details of the insurance arrangements would be needed as excesses are often high for fleet policies.

 

[Plonker 3]

I would be asking for a exact list of what they would specify as damage?
Are you the sole user of the vehicle?
What is in place to reimburse you if the company goes bust?
Why is the bonus unspecified?

 

[NickD]

I go with what Richard said, write letter saying you haven't had time to assess and take advice therefore feel unable to sign at present. If you're lucky with that many vehicles and drivers to assess they'll forget all about you. I once "forgot" to sign and send back a form in vaguely similar circumstances and never got chased for it.

 

[NickD]

Why is the bonus unspecified?

Because it's obviously corporate bull****. Look, here's a tenner.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi all.just looking for a bit of advice. I have been with my current company for just over a year. They are asking us to sign a piece of paper authorising them to deduct £40 a month from our wages to cover any potential damage to our work vans. apparently if our vans are undamaged at the end of the year we will be paid the whole amount back. about £500 over a full year. I have no intention of signing this and was just wondering if anyone had any advice. I am not with a union and plan to call acas tomorrow. the van is only used for work and I consider myself to be at work as soon as I leave my house because I work all over wales without going to our central office. thanks in advance.

tell em to XXXX off...

 

[Guest111]

We had a firm try this with us once,only they said we had to pay money towards personal use of the vehicle,we all lived at least 25 miles from the depot and there was around 200 of us.the depot had space for about 10 vans,so one friday we all turned up at the depot at knocking off time and caused chaos,the streets were blocked and nothing could move.We told the boss we'd all make our own way home and return on monday in our own cars,and take the vans to work before returning them each night.Now apart from the parking issue this meant a lot of lost working time getting the vans from the depot and back to it in the evening.Surprise surprise they scrapped the idea. if they insist on taking money then it should be banked somewhere separate and not with the company's cash so if it all goes peart shaped at least you get it back,but if you all show solidarity they won't implement it.

 

[MDJ]

I have also done the same before, years ago this nutty idea came out about charging employees for taking the van home by altering our tax codes by about 2 grand a year. So we used to find our way to the yard in the morning park our cars and then load the vans, then leave site early enough to get back to the yard at night and park the vans and then go home, after a couple of weeks the amount of time lost in the day made the Boss decide to scrap the idea. A ridiculous rule this taxing for the van lark, needs scrapping ASAP, along with the Bedroom tax lol

 

[Plonker 3]

I remeber when it came in for taxing taking the company vehicle home. We had a lad tight as a ducks behind, he kicked up a massive stink about it, so the boss just said "fine drop the van off at the yard when you have finished for the day/week (used to work away alot). Then on Monday make your own way to the yard to pick it up then go and pick everyone up, before heading to site. Or you can pay it, and have full use of a insured, taxed, MOTd vehicle and fuel paid for too for your own personal use" Strangely enough he changed his mind then lol

 

[Guest111]

Some firms can be proper barstewards when it comes to wanting it their way,at one I worked for they stated categorically that all your personal tools were covered if they were stolen out of the van,we had to supply everything hand tools powertools the lot.One of the lads had a top of the range Makita pinched out of the van,at the time the 18volt range had just come out,and they replaced it with some horrible chinese thing with something like a 3 hour charge time.The bosses answer was well it drills holes and nobody made you buy a dear one,what a tool that guy was.

 

[Diddy]

I remeber when it came in for taxing taking the company vehicle home. We had a lad tight as a ducks behind, he kicked up a massive stink about it, so the boss just said "fine drop the van off at the yard when you have finished for the day/week (used to work away alot). Then on Monday make your own way to the yard to pick it up then go and pick everyone up, before heading to site. Or you can pay it, and have full use of a insured, taxed, MOTd vehicle and fuel paid for too for your own personal use" Strangely enough he changed his mind then lol

Funny enough a company I worked for tried this with me/us when the tax law came in. I/we said fine we will not drive company vehicles and you can pay us all millage instead OR we will pick the van up a 8.00am and drop it back at the depot at 5pm (Instead of being at site for 8.am and leaving site at 5pm).....unlike in your example we "won" and the company found a way round the tax issue.
They also tried to implement a rule where if the van was damaged the driver would get the excess deducted from his wages.....same result the lads stuck together and declined to use company vehicles same as above....so as above it was in the companies interest to back down....we are talking about just using the vans for work though as we were not authorized to ever use the vans for personal use.

 

[Guest111]

Funny enough a company I worked for tried this with me/us when the tax law came in. I/we said fine we will not drive company vehicles and you can pay us all millage instead OR we will pick the van up a 8.00am and drop it back at the depot at 5pm (Instead of being at site for 8.am and leaving site at 5pm).....unlike in your example we "won" and the company found a way round the tax issue.
They also tried to implement a rule where if the van was damaged the driver would get the excess deducted from his wages.....same result the lads stuck together and declined to use company vehicles same as above....so as above it was in the companies interest to back down....we are talking about just using the vans for work though as we were not authorized to ever use the vans for personal use.

Yes I know what you mean,a large media company,sexually inexperienced that I worked for said we couldn't use the vans for personal use as they were only insured for driving between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm we worked 8 till 5 so that gave us half hour each way traveling,fine until I pointed out that some of us worked 'till 9 when on call.they couldn't answer that one lol

 

[vernam616]

Sounds like a right ramshackle of a company to me anyway, you cant be forced to sign it and im pretty confident you couldnt be sacked for not signing it, if it was compulsory they wouldnt get you you to sign anything they would just take it out, they need your permission and your not breaking the law by saying no

However of course they could start making your working life hell

I never see why firms start upsetting the lads, THEY always lose out, morale drops and lads start going slower, longer dinners, standing around, the man hours lost far outweighs any money they think they are saving

Hard one, but good luck with it oh and remember NOBODY is indispensable

 

[SPARK2B]

they find a scratch the size of a nats eyelash,...and ur 500 shmakkers is gone!....con con,...CON!!!

 

[dazza1981]

They did this to me on my last firm but the van was already falling to bits and was a lump of rust, i refused to sign anything, i did eventually sign but thats because they bought me a brand new van. To be fair i always got my money back at the end of the year no problems!!

 

[dansk]

Id ask them for a £40 pay rise, then tell them once you give me the rise i can afford to give you the £40.