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AIBU?

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Original poster

.... to expect to be able to claim mileage back

20 replies

Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 09:53

I started a new job in April. I was informed that I would need to go to a different branch for training before I could go to my own branch. Fine. The branch I am training in is 11 miles further from home than where I am due to be working, thus I am driving 22 miles extra every day. I was under the impression that the training would take 2 weeks tops. I am now coming to the end of my 3rd week and there seems no end in sight. Despite being here for 3 weeks, only perhaps 3 days of this I would class as actual productive 'training', the rest of the time I've just been doing general tasks that definitely do not require me to be trained in. I have also be drafted in to 'work' on Saturdays, despite this being my trainers day off. We have an area meeting coming up which is 85 miles from home which I am expected to drive to. This is scheduled for a Friday before the Bank Holiday, I live in a very touristy place on the coast and the meeting is in the Midlands, hence getting home at 3.30pm on this day will be an absolute nightmare and is guaranteed to take hours longer than normal.

I have been told in order to claim back milage, I need to have business insurance. Can they do this? I've only ever used my car for personal use and to drive to a fixed pace of work so would never need to pay extra for business insurance. Am I within my rights to refuse to drive to this meeting as, essentially, with the additional time and petrol involved in going, I will be working for free! Also, should I even be driving to the training branch? It is NOT my normal place of work and I am driving 22 miles extra per day to do so!

What should I say to my employer in this case. All help gratefully received. Being new, I don't want to cause a fuss but I don't want taking advantage of either.

OP posts:
NowItsSpring · 27/04/2023 09:58

My understanding is that you do need business insurance in order to claim work mileage. Might there be an option to claim public transport costs (& still drive) - my employer offered this for people not eligible for paid mileage.

PurpleBananaSmoothie · 27/04/2023 10:07

Yes, you need business insurance to claim mileage. It doesn’t usually cost much more for low business miles (DH and I both have business mileage on our insurance). You might have an administration fee usually around £15-20 if you need to put it on part way through your insurance period. Then just leave it on, even when you aren’t doing business travelling because you’ll never know when you’ll change your job to do it.

I don’t think you can refuse to go to an area meeting 1 month into a new job. What you should check is how travel time is accounted for, usually as part of your day and that any additional hours you incur can be claimed as TOIL.

Brieandme · 27/04/2023 10:33

You do need to have business insurance, and you shouldn't be driving to other workplaces if you don't have it. However be aware the alternative may be a PITA - if your contract says you may be required to go to other locations then while you should refuse to drive, you should be getting public transport, not just refusing to go.
Business insurance doesn't usually cost much more on the insurance, though as others have said you'd likely have to pay an admin fee.

BarbaraofSeville · 27/04/2023 10:34

You might need business insurance even if you can't claim mileage as you're travelling to somewhere other than your normal place of work. Check the rules of your car insurance.

But what arrangements would they make for you to get to these places if you didn't drive, or were unable to take your own car? Are there other people going? Is public transport feasible? Can they provide a pool car or hire one?

All workplaces are different in their expectations, so you have to gauge what the norms are and talk to colleagues, your line manager, HR, as appropriate. But they certainly shouldn't be expecting you to go somewhere 85 miles away at your own cost, or in your own time.

Is 3.30 pm your normal finish time? Is this a highly paid job where you're expected to work long hours, or is it a lower paid one, where they shouldnt be expecting you to work for free, and you have to be careful your hourly rate doesn't fall below the NMW?

vivainsomnia · 27/04/2023 10:34

A number of insurers don't charge more for business but yes, if you do any mileage purely for work, IE. Attending meetings (beyond commuting) you need business insurance.

DelilahBucket · 27/04/2023 10:37

They are right, you need business insurance. Often this doesn't cost any extra. Nevermind the mileage payment, you aren't actually insured to do these journeys, so consider yourself lucky you haven't had any collisions or incidents.

Grumpyunleashed · 27/04/2023 10:42

There used to be at least 2 classes of business insurance….

One of them was people like Uber drivers who live in their cars an do huge mileage.

The other was for people like me who used the car to get to a meeting during the working day day, ie moving from one office to the other.

I used various companies over the years & it was usually a free add on at renewal time.

Ring your insurer & have a chat

Original poster
Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 10:56

BarbaraofSeville · 27/04/2023 10:34

You might need business insurance even if you can't claim mileage as you're travelling to somewhere other than your normal place of work. Check the rules of your car insurance.

But what arrangements would they make for you to get to these places if you didn't drive, or were unable to take your own car? Are there other people going? Is public transport feasible? Can they provide a pool car or hire one?

All workplaces are different in their expectations, so you have to gauge what the norms are and talk to colleagues, your line manager, HR, as appropriate. But they certainly shouldn't be expecting you to go somewhere 85 miles away at your own cost, or in your own time.

Is 3.30 pm your normal finish time? Is this a highly paid job where you're expected to work long hours, or is it a lower paid one, where they shouldnt be expecting you to work for free, and you have to be careful your hourly rate doesn't fall below the NMW?

No, definitely not high paid. It's in charity. My usual finish time would be 5pm but I will be seeing off an hour earlier than normal to get there and with the BH traffic all rising to get to the coast, I will be very lucky to get home before 8pm.

OP posts:
Original poster
Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 10:57

All 'rushing' to get to the coast 🙄

OP posts:
ohtowinthelottery · 27/04/2023 10:57

Firstly, if you are required to travel to places which are not your normal place of work then you need business cover anyway - regardless of whether you are claiming expenses. If you have an accident on one of these journeys you run the risk of your insurer not paying out. We all have it on this house - it doesn't cost us any extra - even when DS added it to his the premium didn't increase.

And yes, your employer should be paying the travel expenses above and beyond what you drive over your normal mileage to your designated office. The Bank Holiday traffic on your Friday journey - well you'll probably just have to suck that up. I spent a whole Summer travelling around the North Wales coast as supply staff one summer before they'd built the A55 expressway. It was a case of window down, music up (in my little 850 cc mini) and be patient.

ohtowinthelottery · 27/04/2023 10:58

'In our house ' not 'on'

Original poster
Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 10:59

Being new to the company, I had no idea of the rules regarding this and I wasn't informed before I started. The email with the details of the meeting was sent this morning and the meeting is tomorrow so little time to amend my insurance as I'm working today. Also, I can't imagine a change to insurance use without an admin fee.... all of which costs. Being charity, the salary is little more than minimum wage as it is.

OP posts:
HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/04/2023 11:03

Will they pay for the train?

Original poster
Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 11:08

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/04/2023 11:03

Will they pay for the train?

The train takes 3.5 hours either way

OP posts:
lanthanum · 27/04/2023 11:08

Get the business insurance. Otherwise, if you have an accident travelling to/from the area meeting, you risk your insurers refusing to pay out. I would guess that working/training at a different branch would pass as "commuting".
If you do not have business insurance, tell them that you can't use your car to get to the area meeting. They'll have to sort you out with a lift, public transport or a taxi.

I don't think adding business insurance cost us much, if anything. It may depend on whether your insurer classes all business cover the same, or distinguishes between people who drive occasionally and people who drive between sites all the time.

Brieandme · 27/04/2023 11:10

In the nicest possible way, it's not up to your employer to tell you that you need business insurance. I'm a little surprised if you've got this far through recruitment and in post without a conversation ever coming up about travel to other locations?

You can amend your insurance with one phone call usually. You shouldn't be driving if you're not insured for the trip.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 27/04/2023 11:12

Yes - you need business insurance and you've technically been driving uninsured if you don't have it.

It's also not your employers job to make sure you have the correct insurance in place - that's down to you.

I would phone your insurance company today and change your policy so you're covered for business use - it normally doesn't cost much - then you can start claiming mileage.

ohtowinthelottery · 27/04/2023 11:29

@Completelyconfuseddotcom Many insurance companies phonelines are open until 8pm. In DS's case it was a quick phone call and all sorted. If you are using your car for work you really need to sort this.

Aaron95 · 27/04/2023 11:37

It sounds like they are offering to pay your travel expenses. If so that is a more than reasonable response. They are correct that you need to add business use to your car insurance. It won't cost much. OH and I both have and and it made no difference to our premiums at all.

What does your contract say about place of work? Most will have a clause in there about having to work at another location if required which means you are expected to travel to another office within a reasonable distance if necessary.

You can certainly refuse to use your own car to travel to the traning centre. But given that you have a car and are commuting to work in it, it is going to be really obvious why you are doing this. Just bear in mind you have been there less than 2 years so they can let you go for any reason they like. If you appear to be behaving awkwardly this early on in your role a lot of managers would do just that.

Original poster
Completelyconfuseddotcom · 27/04/2023 14:42

Thanks all. I have now had business use added to my policy at the cost of £14.99 + £20 admin fee so there can be no arguments about my claiming the mileage back. I will claim far more than this back anyway so at least I am not massively out of pocket and it avoids my making a fuss out of it and coming across as awkward!

However, I would have been happier if I had been informed of the policy and the need to attend regional meetings when I was offered the job as I only renewed my policy in march and I could have added it on then and avoided the £20 admin fee! Never mind eh!

OP posts:
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