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Original poster

Would your work pay for this? AIBU thinking they would?

131 replies

Quickthrowaway · 23/04/2019 22:00

I’ve been told I need to go on a training course/conference. Really short notice. Full day 9am-4.30, paid for by work.

However....it is a 6 hour drive or a 4.30 hr train journey away. Meaning I need to be leaving around 2/3/4am in the morning and then the same on the way home.

They will not pay for a hotel the night before and it’s expected I will drive and claim back mileage. Should say it is a public sector job. AIBU to think they would pay for accommodation the night before?

OP posts:

NicoAndTheNiners · 23/04/2019 23:07

And if you are nhs I think there's something in the Whitley rules about this?

travellinglighter · 23/04/2019 23:32

Go see your health and safety rep and say you don’t believe it’s safe to drive 6 hours, work 8 hours and drive 6 hours again.

I reckon they’ll back down pretty quickly.

KateyKube · 23/04/2019 23:43

That amount of driving in a single day would be illegal. I think even a lorry driver is limited to a maximum of 10 hours driving in a single day. And that’s without doing a full day training course in the middle!

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Employment advice

KenAdams · 23/04/2019 23:44

I'm public sector and it would be paid for but unfortunately the NHS is a different kettle of fish altogether that require their employees to do more and more difficult and frankly dangerous things to save money...

AlexaShutUp · 23/04/2019 23:46

I authorise travel claims for my team. I'm quite tight generally as we're not for profit and it isn't my money to be generous with. I therefore expect people to take the most cost-effective options for travel and won't authorise hotels, taxis etc unless there is a really good reason.

There is no way I'd expect you to make that journey in one day. Apart from anything else, it would be far too risky from a health and safety point of view, but also, it simply wouldn't be reasonable to expect you to do that.

I would certainly pay for overnight accommodation the night before - in fact, I'd insist on it. I'd probably assume that you'd travel back home straight after the training, but I'd encourage you to take the train.

Blankspace4 · 23/04/2019 23:48

Stand firm, your safety must come first. Of the course is essential, you’ll need a hotel the evening before / most travelodges or holiday inns etc are available for less than £50 if booked in advance??

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 23/04/2019 23:49

I work for the civil service and they would absolutely expect me to book accommodation the night before, and probably the second night too, so I could travel back in work time the next day, given the distances involved.

CommeDesPoissons · 23/04/2019 23:50

Why would they expect you to drive if it's 1.5 hours quicker each way by train? Does your manager know the timings? Either way, you should 100% expect a hotel to be paid for the night before.

InceyWinceyette · 24/04/2019 00:54

What if you didn’t have s car?
There wouldn’t be a train that would do a day return so you would have to have a hotel.
I would much prefer to do the train for a journey that long and a 1 day turnaround.

ChipsAreLife · 24/04/2019 02:40

You probably couldn't even get a train in time for that morning. That's so ridiculous.

Scroll down to the table in this and show it to your manager

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/603096/simplified-guidance-eu-drivers-hours-working-time-rules.pdf

Megan2018 · 24/04/2019 02:50

I’m public sector and absolutely they’d pay for the night before. They’d actually insist.
In my experience public sector usually much more stringent on such things due to G&S.
Don’t you have a travel policy? Ours is very clear.

Megan2018 · 24/04/2019 02:50

H&S!

Sashkin · 24/04/2019 04:19

NHS - we have a fixed CPD budget, so we could book a hotel if we wanted but it would affect our ability to go on other courses in the future.

I’d get the train (assuming one exists at 4am) and plan to sleep on it. Same on the way back. But I am a fantastic sleeper so would have total confidence in actually getting some sleep (weeks of nights will do that for you).

BikeRunSki · 24/04/2019 04:24

I’m in the public sector (Defra). We would be expected to get a train in preference to driving, and would have a hotel paid the night before - probably after too. We’d also be expected to be there by 7pm, so would travel during working hours the previous day.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 24/04/2019 05:09

HGV driver here. That amount of driving in a WEEK removes your WTD exemption and brings you under domestic driving rules. This limits your working day to 12 hours, requires your employer to provide accommodation, requires daily subsistence, and imposes a liability to ascertain whether your vehicle is fit for purpose, insured for the needs of the business.

Frankly, I would refuse and submit a grievance. If I did a working day like that, both my firm and I would be in massive shit.

user1471582494 · 24/04/2019 05:14

My job would pay for a hotel overnight

amandacarnet · 24/04/2019 05:22

I would get night before in hotel, but expected to come home after the course.
But if you refuse to travel without a hotel stay, does that mean there is not enough money for you to go on the training?

Mistigri · 24/04/2019 05:55

With those hours I'd expect work to pay for a hotel the night before and to get the train home afterwards (with a taxi home from the station as it will be very late).

I don't have a car - but I wouldn't drive 6 hours to something for work anyway. Those are professional driver hours.

I would only attend the training if work were paying for train/plane and minimum one night in a hotel.

Scrumptiousbears · 24/04/2019 06:12

I'm public sector not only would I get the night before in a hotel I'd travel during work time the day before.

CrazyDuchess · 24/04/2019 06:18

NHS here - would absolutely get a hotel the night before - with mileage and parking paid for.

Cloverisover · 24/04/2019 06:25

NHS here too. Would also get hotel the night before and travel during work time the previous day.

UCOinanOCG · 24/04/2019 06:31

They can it expect you to drive through the night and be able to function all of the next day. They need to pay for you to stay the night before if you are to gain any benefit from being on this course.

showgirl · 24/04/2019 06:32

I work in the NHS and yes we would get a hotel the night before for that.

Dyrne · 24/04/2019 06:35

If your manager still refuses today follow it up with an email copying in your H&S advisor (and possibly union rep) saying you’d like to formally raise a H&S concern regarding the amount of driving you are expected to do in a day.

Agree with others that i’d definitely get a hotel beforehand but work would assume i’d want to get back on the day. Look around on booking.com; depending on where the course is you should be able to get a hotel for less than £50.

lanbro · 24/04/2019 06:36

I once got up at 3.30 to drive to a staff conference at 9am, refused to stay until it finished at 6 and left at 4.30pm, was home by 10pm...the next time I was told I refused and went to the one 2hrs drive away, although in another country and not the one I shouldve been at.

What they're expecting you to do is beyond unreasonable and potentially dangerous, speak to your manager.

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