returning company car

[Ladyjane73]

Hi, I am currently on garden leave and my employer has asked that I return my company car to burton on trent (I live in Letchworth) and they leave me at the railway station to find my way home. I have since managed to get someone to follow me up in their car so that they can give me a lift home, this will incur fuel costs to them (much cheaper than a train ticket) which I have asked my manager to cover, he has however refused. My question is
Can I insist that they come and collect the car instead?

It is normal to require departing staff to return company property, rather than to collect it from them. And as you are sitting at home being paid on garden leave it’s not out of order for them to require you to spend a day of that time taking the car where they need it to be.

Were they going to pay for the train ticket home? If so, just do that. If not, you could consider returning it to the office you normally work at, which I assume is nearer.

I am in field sales and I do not have an office near by, andbthey haven't offered to pay for my train ticket which is why I tried to get a lift as it is so much cheaper

Do you have an expenses policy which says that your employer will reimburse expenses for business-related journeys?

Surely if you are making the train journey on a day you are employed, for business reasons, they will reimburse the fare?

I'd push it on the ticket, can you refer to your expenses policy? I'd imagine they'd rather pay the train ticket than have the hassle of having to pick up your car from wherever, if you say you cannot make the journey without the train ticket being reimbursed.