Work Benefits after maternity leave - changed?

[jaabaar]

Dear All,

Would like your opinion if this is reasonable or not:

Worked full time: benefit yearly travel card paid by my employer

Now part time 3.5 days: I understand that employer should not pay fully my yearly travel card. HOWEVER they are paying only 60% as I work 60%. However on my half day of work I still need to travel as on a full day.

SHould they pay 80% as I travel on 4 days but work 3.5 days??

THank you!!

J

Can you get a 4 day travel card?

I could get a four day travel card but more expensive. my supplier will reimburse me only 60% of the value of the yearly travel card as it is chepaer.

I strongly believe that if my work benefit was including paying for my travel I should be paid for my travel on the day I come to work for 0.5 day as I still have to come and go?

I thought this sounded familiar. You asked the same question just over a year ago. At that point 4 day travel cards were not available. What was the outcome last year?

You have got SUCH a good memory!!!

Last year the issue was slightly different. I was asking if I had to pay for a yearly travel card and they pay only 60% or if I could get the 4 day daily tickets which would be cheaper for me as they would have to pay a higher proportion. They refused as they have the right to the cheapest option for them, which I agreed to.

I only notice THIS year that they are paying for me only 60% ( I work 60% ) but that this does not cover the 4 day travel which would be 80%.

If a benefit is for travelling it should include the travel I make on my half day right?

Please anyone...

If my work grants as a benefit travel expenses paid should I be paid for my travel on my half day in? or should I be paid only half of it as it is half day?

thanks.!!! :)

The best advice I would give is to read your employer handbook and terms and conditions to see what happens to employees who are part time.

If it doesn't state anywhere (including your contract) then you might have a case under the Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000.

In a nutshell they can't make your T & C's any worse than your full time counterparts. You could argue although yes you work 60% you are still required to travel for four days, and by not considering this they are treating you less favourably than other members of staff.

HTH and good luck

Can't see a difference I'm afraid. Outcome last year was 60% of a full timer's ticket, which is what they are paying.

As a part timer your employer should pro rata your benefits to reflect your working hours, which is what they are doing. The reality is some benefits are difficult to pro rata. For example if your employer paid for private health insurance for everyone. You can't get 60% of health cover but the employer wouldn't be expected to pay the full amount. They could either ask part-timers to contribute the appropriate amount to make it up to full policy or not offer the benefit to part timers under the 'objective justification' rule, perhaps bumping up the salary a bit. Either way, the part timer won't benefit from healthcare without being out of pocket.

In your case I would probably advise your employer to err on the side of caution and pay the appropriate amount for a 4-day ticket as these are now available. But that would mean your employer having to pay more in relation to hours than they do for full timers, ie treating you more favourably, and I'm not convinced a tribunal would force them to do that. You could certainly make an argument that full timers don't have to pay to get to work but your part time status means you do. If you raise it formally in that way they may change their minds, but as I say I'm not convinced it would be worth bringing a legal claim about it tbh.

Thank you flowery. I was just wondering if it was reasonable to bring it up at all.
I will mention to them that I they should consider that I have to travel on my half day. Also they insisted I work half day on that day.
Let's see, no harm in asking in a nice way......

thanks again for your detailed answer which I appreciate.

Ilovegreggssausagerolls:
Thank you very much for your advise. That is how I was looking at it.
Moreso as I did not realise last year that by paying 60% it does not actually cover my travel costs. They did not point out to me that they are not payingfor my full travel for the half day. Only realised this this year (maternity brains at the time...).
THanks again!