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My employer requires that “normal commute” costs are deducted when using a private car to visit another office ( not a usual place of work). I understand this when using your own car - although I’m not sure they should do this by simply deducting the commute mileage x mileage rate ( as that also includes non-mileage related elements such as depreciation / capital costs etc that an employee incurs regardless of the trip mileage so is in effect incurring those cost elements twice - in fact it could be a sort of reverse “benefit in kind” for an employer to the disadvantage of the taxpayer if the journey is less than the actual miles).
But I digress - my question is, if I use a hire car provided by the company from my home should I be expected to deduct my normal commute for a journey from home to the other location? I am not in my car. I am in a company provided car. Using it is the same as if l switch on my computer to work from home. I am not expected to deduct my normal commute when I WFH! Also, as my employer they have to insure me, the vehicle, and have a HSE Duty of Care towards me. If they don’t pay me for the first 20 commuting minutes are they employing me? Am I and third parties covered in the event of an accident?
My workplace is 20 minutes south of my home. The site visit is 129 minutes North. The employer is already benefiting 40 minutes by having me use my home to pick up the hire car. If they insist on taking off my normal commute I may as well drive to work anyway as if costs me no more and I “benefit@ from 49 mins extra booked time. I can see no obligation for me to allow my employer to use my home as a staging post for their activities. My contract clearly states my place of work and that I must be prepared to undertake occasional work travel. Which I would be fulfilling.
But I digress - my question is, if I use a hire car provided by the company from my home should I be expected to deduct my normal commute for a journey from home to the other location? I am not in my car. I am in a company provided car. Using it is the same as if l switch on my computer to work from home. I am not expected to deduct my normal commute when I WFH! Also, as my employer they have to insure me, the vehicle, and have a HSE Duty of Care towards me. If they don’t pay me for the first 20 commuting minutes are they employing me? Am I and third parties covered in the event of an accident?
My workplace is 20 minutes south of my home. The site visit is 129 minutes North. The employer is already benefiting 40 minutes by having me use my home to pick up the hire car. If they insist on taking off my normal commute I may as well drive to work anyway as if costs me no more and I “benefit@ from 49 mins extra booked time. I can see no obligation for me to allow my employer to use my home as a staging post for their activities. My contract clearly states my place of work and that I must be prepared to undertake occasional work travel. Which I would be fulfilling.
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