COMPANY VEHICLE POLICY

Transcription

1 COMPANY VEHICLE POLICY POLICY STATEMENT We provide a Company vehicle for some employees and this policy provides a guide to the allocation, replacement and use of Company vehicles. It is a condition of having a Company vehicle that you must hold a valid driving licence, and it must be used by you for the performance of your contractual duties. On days where the usual driver will be at an office base the vehicle must be made available to other members of staff at that location who are authorised to drive Company vehicles who may need to use a Company vehicle that day on business when the vehicle would otherwise not be in use. If you use another person s Company vehicle then you must complete a mileage form detailing the business journey undertaken (see mileage reporting below). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR A COMPANY VEHICLE A Company vehicle may be provided for: Employees whose role requires them to travel regularly to see customers or suppliers Employees with National responsibilities that cover sites across the UK that they regularly need to visit Employees who frequently need to transport bulky equipment between Company sites across the UK As a guideline, you would be eligible for a Company vehicle if you regularly travel more than 8,000 business miles or more per year consistently. This does not include commuting to work and will be assessed on a case by case basis and re-assessed at regular intervals. Company vehicles are allocated to employees on the basis of the role that they perform if you move into a role that does not require a Company vehicle, you may be required to relinquish the Company vehicle without financial compensation. Should your driving licence be withdrawn or suspended, for whatever reason, then you must inform your Manager and the HR Team immediately and return the Company vehicle for reallocation. If your role requires you to drive extensively on Company business and you are banned from driving for any reason this may lead to the termination of your employment. If you have a poor driving or accident record, or fail to maintain the Company vehicle in an acceptable condition, or provide the Company with your driving licence when requested, disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be taken against you and your permission to use a Company vehicle may be withdrawn at any time. POOL VEHICLES Pool vehicles are provided at some sites for employees who need to make an occasional business journey and do not have a Company vehicle. There is no tax charge for employees who use a pool vehicle as long as its use complies with the rules as determined by HM Revenue and Customs. A pool vehicle is defined as one where private use is 'merely incidental' to business use, where it is not normally used by any single employee to the exclusion of others, and where it is not normally kept overnight at or near an employee s home. If you use a pool vehicle you must complete a mileage return detailing the business use (see mileage reporting below) and in addition

2 the Company vehicle driver should show who used their vehicle that day on Company business. If you need to put fuel into a pool vehicle then you should pay for this and reclaim the expense through the Company s Expense Reimbursement Process in the usual way. RUNNING COSTS Company vehicles are leased from third party providers on a fully maintained basis including road tax, servicing, tyres, windscreens, MOT and any replacement parts that may be required. INSURANCE COVER Company vehicles are covered by fully comprehensive insurance. You may only use a Company vehicle for business, social, domestic and pleasure purposes. Under no circumstances may a Company provided vehicle be used for circuit driving (track days), road racing, timed driving events, or any other inappropriate use. If you contravene this policy the Company vehicle will be withdrawn from you and disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be taken against you A Company vehicle may only be driven by a person who has been previously authorised by the Company to drive it. Authority for additional drivers must be obtained before they use the vehicle Learner drivers may not drive a Company vehicle at any time Any vehicle being towed by a Company vehicle is not covered Personal belongings left in a Company vehicle are NOT covered and are left at your own risk A copy of our motor insurance certificate may be obtained from the Company fleet administrator if required FUEL CARDS You will be provided with a fuel card to enable you to purchase fuel and oil so that you are not out of pocket for fuel used for Company business. When purchasing fuel, you are required to provide both the registration number of the vehicle and current mileage. Please do not be tempted to use a Company fuel card to purchase fuel for your own private vehicle as this will be treated as a deliberate attempt to defraud us and may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you up to and including dismissal. PARKING FEES, TOLLS AND CONGESTION CHARGES Any parking charges, tolls or congestion charges that you legitimately incur whilst performing your contractual duties may be claimed in line with the Company s Expense Reimbursement Policy in the usual way. Car washes, valeting, screen wash and other similar items may not be claimed. MILEAGE REPORTING All mileage must be reported using the appropriate reporting form. Regular company car drivers should complete a monthly mileage return. Casual users who have borrowed someone else s Company vehicle, or used either a pool car or hire car on Company business must complete a mileage form covering each journey made in that vehicle and detail any private mileage travelled. This ensures that the appropriate driver can be identified should any parking or traffic offence be committed and is also a requirement of both our insurance company and road traffic legislation. Your actual mileage report should provide the following details for each and every journey:

3 Start location Actual addresses visited The person seen at each location The purpose of the meeting and Finish location This ensures compliance with HMRC rules. It is not acceptable to simply put a total mileage and general area (e.g. East Midlands 68 miles ) as this does not comply with HMRC regulations and may render you liable to a fuel scale charge. HMRC rules require all employees to reimburse the Company the cost of all private fuel used during each tax year. If you fail to provide a mileage report for any month of the tax year then the fuel scale benefit charge will be applied for the entire tax year as required by HMRC rules. Once you have completed your mileage form it must be signed by your Manager (who is responsible for ensuring the form has been completed in line with these rules). It should then be forwarded to the Finance Department no later than the 4 th day of the following month in order that any private fuel costs can be recharged to you. Mileage reports are also used by the Procurement Team to monitor mileage against lease contracts. Please note that submitting a false mileage claim will be dealt with in accordance with the Company s Misconduct Policy and Procedure and may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you, up and including dismissal. RECORDING OF DRIVING LICENCE POINTS If you receive an endorsable fixed penalty ticket, or are convicted of a driving offence you must report this immediately to your Manager, the fleet administrator and also to the HR Team. You must also confirm how many points you have on your driving licence (if any) on the monthly mileage return. APPROVED VEHICLE LIST We provide a wide choice of suitable vehicles that comply with our requirements. These include: Ensuring we project a professional and appropriate image Suitability for business use including Health and Safety considerations Environmental performance Requirements of the Company s insurance provider Budgetary considerations The Approved Vehicle List is reviewed regularly to ensure that new models are included and obsolete models deleted. Our providers regularly review their leasing rates and a vehicle which may have been included on a previous list may move bands or be removed altogether as manufacturers often change their discount structures. Any accessories such as tow bars, mud flaps, cycle carriers or roof racks for personal use may be fitted at your own expense and the cost of repairing any damage incurred to the Company vehicle as a result of the fitting and/or removal of such accessories will be your responsibility at all times. REPLACEMENT PROCESS

4 6 months from the date of expiry of the lease on a Company vehicle your continued eligibility (or not) to use a Company vehicle will be confirmed by the HR Team. Once approved, you will be contacted directly by the Company Fleet Administrator with information about your replacement vehicle. We do not guarantee you will be provided with a new vehicle if there are existing vehicles within the fleet awaiting reallocation. VEHICLE REALLOCATION If you are promoted to another role and do not currently have a Company vehicle, you will normally be assigned an appropriate vehicle already within the fleet, until its normal replacement date. If you are reallocated an existing Company vehicle we will try to ensure, as far as is practicable, that the reallocated vehicle is from the same or lower band than your existing vehicle. If you are absent from work due to long term sickness, we reserve the right to withdraw your Company vehicle until such time as you are fit to resume your normal duties. This will enable your Company vehicle to be redeployed to the person who will cover your role on an interim basis (and will also remove the taxation charge from you for this period). If you leave us, your vehicle must be returned on your last working day together with all other Company property. The vehicle must be returned clean both inside and out as it will be allocated to another driver upon return. You must ensure that it has been serviced if required and that all of the tyres are in a legal and roadworthy condition. It must also be returned with all sets of keys given to you upon delivery, together with all relevant handbooks and service records. If the vehicle is returned in an unsatisfactory condition then you will be liable for the cost of any repairs and valeting costs which will be deducted from any final salary payment. The Company vehicle will be checked by your Manager and any damage noted upon return. Any transfer of vehicle from within the fleet or between employees must be approved by the Company s Fleet Administrator and HR Team before any transfer is made. Transfers impact upon the tax liability of both the employee and also the Company and it is mandatory to notify the Tax Office of all changes when they occur. DRIVER RESPONSIBILITIES As a Company vehicle driver you must at all times: Comply with all relevant Road Traffic Legislation, especially relating to the use of mobile telephones Comply with our Health and Safety Policy and Road Vehicle User Policy Ensure the vehicle is serviced as required Keep the Company vehicle in a clean and roadworthy condition, both inside and out Be aware that you will be liable for the full cost of repairing any damage caused to a Company vehicle by any animal carried in the vehicle Carry out routine checks including tyres and tyre pressures, lights, wipers, washer fluid, oil and coolant at regular intervals and at least once every week Ensure that an MOT inspection is carried as required Pay all fines and penalties arising from any offence connected with the condition and use of the Company vehicle (including any traffic offence or parking fines). If you fail to pay the fine, the leasing company will recharge the Company for the fine and this will be recharged to you together with any associated administration costs levied by the leasing company

5 Submit a mileage form to the Finance Team by the 4 th of each month detailing each and every journey made for each day (both private and business mileage) Immediately report any theft of the Company vehicle to the Police, Company s Fleet Administrator, the HR Team and the leasing company Immediately report any accident, or damage, however small, to the Company s Fleet Administrator, the HR Team and comply with the accident reporting procedures as specified below Comply with the guidelines provided by the leasing company in the event of an accident or breakdown Immediately inform the HR Team if you are convicted of a driving offence or are disqualified from driving Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal being taken against you. REPORTING OF DAMAGE AND ACCIDENTS If your vehicle is damaged and not driveable you should contact the leasing provider. They will arrange recovery of your vehicle, provision of a replacement vehicle and will liaise directly with the Company s insurers to have the vehicle repaired. You must also report any accident or damage at the time of the accident or when the damage has been found directly to both the fleet provider and also the Company s Fleet Administrator and confirm that you have informed the Company s Fleet Administrator on your monthly mileage report. In the event of an accident involving your Company vehicle, it is important that you: Note the registration number, make, model and any other relevant details of any other vehicles involved in the accident Take photographs at the time of the accident to show the position of the vehicles and all damage where safe to do so Take the name and address of the other parties and their insurance details Provide the other party with our insurance details Take the name and address of any witnesses to the accident Inform the police as soon as possible, but within 24 hours, if any person is injured or if any other person s property is damaged It is important that you or any authorised driver DO NOT IN ANY EVENT make any admission of liability. OVERSEAS TRAVEL The vehicle may not be taken out of the UK without the prior written consent of the leasing company. Please contact the fleet provider well in advance of any planned trip abroad so that the necessary documentation can be provided. The leasing company may charge you for this documentation. All fuel purchased whilst abroad should be paid for by other means (your fuel card will not work outside of the UK).