Company fuel card issues

[richbarley99]

I was just wondering where I stand on this. The company has changed the rules on fuel cards and have given us a cut off date for inputting our mileage otherwise they will bill us for the whole amount (which we claim back later on when we get time) which can be a fortune as we are field engineers and quite often drive 3000 miles+ a month. The issue is that before, we used to fill in a form which we signed agreeing to the fact that we had done say, 123 private miles in a month and they would bill us accordingly and it would be taken from our salary. The trouble is now, they can take the whole amount which could be in the hundreds leaving us out of pocket and unable to pay for example the mortgage at the beginning of the month and thus losing the house because thay are with holding mooney that is rightfully ours. We quite often are unable to log on and input mileage as we are out in the field and the intranet is shocking plus surely they cany hold our salary back!!

 

I believe this to be a massive change in my Ts & Cs and could lead to financial problems, and we have not signed anything to agree with it.. I hope some one can advise..

 

Regards, Desperate Rich.

[becky2585]

How long are they giving you to record the mileage?

 

As they aren't changing the financial terms, it sounds like you shouldn't have any problem as long as you're organised! The only problem would be if they delayed the correct payment or didn't give you adequate time to claim.

[Nagasis]

Hi Rich, how often is the cut off date applied under the new rules? is monthly? So once a month you must submit your mileage before a certain date?

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

I'll put your thread into the employment forum and leave you a short term redirect from here. The guys should be able to advise you.

 

My best, HB

[richbarley99]

We have to submit the week before pay day. This is not a problem if you are sitting in front of your computer in the office everyday, but we are often out for weeks at a time and where as we used to sign a form and mail it in and the bill was worked out and we agreed it by signing it, now we have to log on to the company site and input the information on a system which is not very reliable. The issue is not paying the private mileage, its the fact they could take maybe up to £400+ out of my salary at the beginning of the month if I miss the cut off, thus making me default on bills etc, when most of that money (bar the private mileage) is legally mine.Plus why are they taking it off my salary when it comes off a fuel card.. It just seems big firms are trying to get one over on you when you spend your life on the motorways for them..

 

Becky, they are changing the financial terms massively because they can take the whole bill out of your salary, until you prove the miles were not just private miles. and we have to be very organised, trust me.

 

Cheers..

[becky2585]

Is there currently a clause in your contract confirming the way mileage is calculated? Or a mileage policy?

[richbarley99]

Becky, the details have been removed from the companies intra web, and there is nothing in our contracts as they were given to us at a later date as we were paying by our own credit cards and claiming it back, it was getting too expensive so we were issued with fuel cards/

[Emmzzi]

If you can access the website remotely, this seems entirely reasonable.

[Emmzzi]

HB, OP has put in 2 places - duplicate thread.

[assisted blonde]

We have to pay for all fuel and claim it back at any one time I am £3-£400 out of pocket, I can only suggest that you put the claim in earlier prehaps every 2 weeks?

[honeybee13]

Hi Emmzzi.

 

I'll merge the threads as I've spotted this.

 

Another time if I'm not around, you can always hit the black triangle at the bottom of one of the thread posts.

 

HB

[richbarley99]

I have asked for assistance here, NOT what you do in your company.. I assume none of you are in the legal proffession and are just putting in what you THINK is correct.. Are they allowed to just change the way they do it not... I have been led to believe NO they cant but would like someone with a bit of knowledge to reply..

 

Rich..

 

By the way you cant put the claim when you havent done the miles!!!!!!!! ie two weeks earlier.

[richbarley99]

One of the problems is we are often sitting on hill tops staring at radio masts and cant do this ALL the time...

[becky2585]

I have asked for assistance here, NOT what you do in your company.. I assume none of you are in the legal proffession and are just putting in what you THINK is correct.. Are they allowed to just change the way they do it not... I have been led to believe NO they cant but would like someone with a bit of knowledge to reply..

 

Rich..

 

By the way you cant put the claim when you havent done the miles!!!!!!!! ie two weeks earlier.

 

I don't think an aggressive rant is going to help you. Nor will it now make anyone else want to help - being rude isn't going to get you anywhere!

 

I do work in a relevant field, by the way. The forum is also full of HR professionals and trade union reps. You come to a forum, you're going to have people give their opinions - what else did you expect?

[Sidewinder]

I don't think an aggressive rant is going to help you. Nor will it now make anyone else want to help - being rude isn't going to get you anywhere!

 

 

Have to agree - you asked for opinions, and these are often formed on the basis of what appears to be 'normal' practice - it is a little unfair to cast aspersions about the qualification or otherwise of people who offer help, even if this is limited to their own situation. Appreciate the fact that this could potentially leave you out of pocket, but the legal position is that the employer CAN change policy - and you CAN question the fairness of them doing so on the grounds that you have outlined. If there is an official written policy, then it makes it harder for them to move the goalposts, but not impossible. They would need to consult, and a part of that consultation would be the objection on the grounds of limited access to the internet and discussions as to how that may be overcome.

 

Ask about the company's grievance procedure, and use it to challenge what they are proposing to do, giving real life examples of occasions where this would fall foul of any change in policy.

[richbarley99]

Well thats better, and sorry, didnt mean to upset people...

 

And I will look at the gievance policy... Which should be interesting considering we have no HR anymore locally, it is all based in India.. I will question the fairness of it as some people do up to 2k a week while chasing ambulances for repairs to radios, it was never an issue before and some of the guys dont earn very much at all and really cant afford to even risk that amount of money being withheld.. I am still absolutely amazed they can withhold your salary.. Time for a new job I think...

Many thanks..

 

Great forum by the way

[Sidewinder]

The other angle to look at is that Section 13 of the Employment Rights Act offers considerable protection from Unlawful Deductions. Unless by statute (tax, national insurance) or a court ordered deduction (attachment order) etc, the employer may only deduct money which you have agreed to as part of your contract, or by other written agreement.

 

Therefore - if your contract (or any associated employee handbook, public notice etc) makes no mention of fuel card purchases being clawed back from salary, and you have not subsequently agreed to this, then any deduction is quite possibly unlawful. Always a good one to throw to an employer trying to take money from wages as they know that to defend a Tribunal action will cost them - hugely!