Nominated driver

[Namechangetheyarewatching]

So there is a team of three, me and two men, then our line manager man, then his line manager man, then his line manager female, we don't see her very often perhaps once a year at an away day.

That's just to give you the make up of our group.

The three of us are the only people in the organisation who do our role.

So one of the men in my team uses a wheelchair and up until now his wife has dropped him to meetings as and when required, we WFH 99% so not often.

They have now arranged a hire vehicle that can take his wheelchair, but no driver.

I have been asked to drive and pick up the vehicle (hour round trip), then drive back and pick up my colleague and then drive to the meeting (hour there), doing it all in reverse on the way back. It takes me an hour to drive from mine to the meeting.

So a 4 hour trip, picking up a colleague, hour meeting, home.

Or 2 hour trip, hour meeting, home.

I have to be honest, I don't want to become the default driver, it's not my responsibility.

YABU, suck it up help a colleague

YANBU, they should find another way, such as a driver

No way would I be doing that.
And why you?
Are you doing some of this driving in your own car in which case pretty sure there's an insurance issue as well.
Why don't they just book a taxi that can take a wheelchair? How would your colleague feel about you being his driver anyway??

'They' have arranged? Who's they? Sounds like it's the aww @Namechangetheyarewatching is a female type and will be happy to do this caring task....

I wouldn't want to do this, being honest. Is this just a one off thing or will it become a regular occurrence?

Yes the hour to pick up and drop off would be in my car. I have business insurance and would use my car to get to the meeting anyway.

Colleague doesn't mind who gets him there. I have previously used my own car and have to left the wheelchair into my boot, get home in my car etc, but bought a small two passenger car, which I want to drive!!!

Quite!!

I get nominated for minute taking as well as I have ADHD and need to write everything down, for me.

Well if I say yes now, it will become a regular thing I will need to do everytime we have a face to face meeting, I just know it..

If the travel is done during work time then I think YAB a bit U. You're a team and sometimes you need to support your colleagues. I can understand you not wanting to do it every time though.

If the travel is your own time then YANBU.

They would be better off booking him an accessible taxi.

That is unreasonable. The organisation and him and his wife need to be providing ways and means if they want him in for a meeting. Ways that do not massively inconvenience other staff.

I would decline. Polite but firm. Not your responsibility. Sounds very cheeky. Do you have unpaid taxi driver in your job description?

I would decline on grounds of time. Surely taxi would be no more than a hire car, and far less hassle and risk all round.

It’s not really on that they nominate you for stuff that should rotate between you. You’re not the team dogsbody.

And if you can't attend, what happens?

Your colleague obviously has full mental capacity. Why is anyone else doing all this organising for him? What does he say about you being asked to drive him?

I wouldn't want to do that. It's on the business to make reasonable adjustments, not to appoint you as a taxi driver.

Do you have business use insurance? I think this would be outside the scope of home to office.

Why are they hiring a vehicle that is an hours round trip to pick up? And why without a driver if it is so far away? Asking you to drive a vehicle you are not familiar with is not something you should be pushed into, if the weather is bad it's so much more dangerous if you are unfamiliar with the vehicle.

Well if I say yes now, it will become a regular thing I will need to do everytime we have a face to face meeting, I just know it..

Yes I was thinking this.
If his wife used to drop him off and now
Isn't then surely the onus is on him to get himself there somehow, presumably by organising his own transport/taxi?

I do get this, I know I am a bit unreasonable because he is a colleague.

But ergh, I just don't want to be someone support person.

I can't cope with myself sometimes

Can the hire car firm drop outside your house and collect? Sometimes I've ended a hire car for work purposes and they leave car outside your house and drop the keys through the letter box.

No, even if the driving is done during work time you need to stand firm. It isn't your job.

If you are using your car to get to his then you are putting extra miles and wear and tear on your car.

Driving can be stressful, and 4 hours in a car a day is physically bad for you. You are not responsible for someone else's travel.

Extra risks of making a mistake, accidentally driving in a bus lane or a speeding ticket if you aren't familiar with the roads.

You don't have a driving job, not your problem to solve.

I'd just say Sorry, I don't feel comfortable with that.

I’ll ask again- why is he not organising his own transport and what is his opinion of you being his “support person”?

My brother is a paraplegic and his pet hate is people who patronise him. As your colleague has a job I presume he has no cognitive problems?

It's not his wife's job. It's between the gentleman and his workplace.

He hasn't been asked yet, my line manger was putting out the question to me first and yes I feel bad because we should support each other etc

But we have additional work which has been added to our roles which we have no idea about yet, and I've said a three hour stint out my day is stupid as we could do the meeting on teams...so the additional 2 hours and me driving feels like a pisstake.

But this doesn’t make sense. Each individual is responsible for getting themselves to and from work. Nobody is going to arrange a car for you, or buy a bus ticket for Jimmy in the post room.

Like I said, it’s deeply patronising to assume your colleague can’t sort out his own transport.

I’m going to make a massive assumption that they have a car on a mobility scheme if it fits his wheelchair and his wife can drive him about? In which case the company can offer to pay for a driver to go to his house and transport him in his own car or as some suggested a taxi that can accommodate a wheelchair.

this current solution actually make no practical sense and your colleague may actually be mortified that the idea has been floated at all!

Three hours out of your day and so much driving to do something that you can do on Teams IS deeply stupid. And it's really inappropriate of your manager to ask you if you would mind doing that. Who wouldn't mind??!! They are taking the piss. Definitely exercise your 'No' muscle on this sort of stuff, and this is the place to start. Bet it's cause you're the agreeable female. FFS!