Staff Transport - a perk now removed. Help!

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Since day dot, our employer has pffered staff lifts too and from work outside of the times where public transport is available. It is a 24 hour operation, staff finish their shifts round the clock, and start again, any time of day or night.

For the past two years this transport has been in the form of subsidised cabs with a local firm (employer pays the first £5, staff pay the remainder).

This has now been recinded. Only staff finishing after midnight and beginning prior to 6am are eligible. Even though the public transport is not available after eleven.

Many many staff have worked here over ten years and use this facility. They are now in a situation whereby they cannot get into work or home without paying full price for their taxis. For some staff, this makes them working here almost not worth it.

Can they simply say "we are stopping this"?

Anyone?

No idea - but I'd be scrutinising my contract very carefully to see what it said.

I'd also be looking at my home insurance policy to see if I had legal cover to ring them up and ask - or if I didn't I'd be going to the citizen's advice bureau to see what they advised.

I'd also be taking a long hard look at the business of the employer and wonder if the reason they cut the subsidised transport was because business was becoming worse and they were no longer able to pay for them because the cost was the difference between profit and loss or because there was a new boss who wanted to use the money for his salary or as a share dividend or whatever. Or is it a bigger business and it's an edict that has come from elsewhere - where public transport late at night isn't an issue so they don't see why they should be subsidising taxis.

Do you think they have been calculating with the times for subsidised taxis knowing that lots of you finish at 11.30 say so that they can still claim they offer the perk but actually the number of those that can benefit from it will fall dramatically?

Can a union member or delegation of employees talk to management and offer a solution of any sort - upping the base price you pay a bit? Changing typical shift patterns so instead of doing 3-11 say, you do 4.15 to 12.15 instead so you'd all become eligible to transport again? I don't know what else but you should be able to come up with others knowing them???

It's not ideal and I'm sorry there are so many questions but I think if you can figure out why they have done this you will have more luck in figuring out a solution (or in becoming really proactive at looking for a new job!!)

I hope they can't take this away from you though. Can you remember what happened when they introduced the change to the system last time? Did they change any contracts or say why they were changing it then (part of a long term plan to get you used to paying a bit then paying for all of it?). Was there much protest then or anything that might have relevance or help you now?

Sorry. Even more questions. But good luck!

An employer can't just literally change terms and conditions like that, and it sounds as though if this benefit is very longstanding and applies to everyone that it is contractual.

If there is a good business reason for withdrawal of a contractual benefit, it can be done, but there would need to be proper consultation.

Has there been no consultation at all?

Even if it isn't written into a contract, I think you could make a case on the grounds of custom and practice - my sister was successful in this in a similar situation

I would agree with PP that it has become an implied term. They would therefore need to consult with you prior to changing it but that wouldn't really stop them if they can demonstrate a good business reason for the change eg financial. They would need to give you your contractual notice period to implement the change though which may give you some time to sort something else out.