Should I raise a grievance

[ToBeOrNotToBee]

So I work for a civil service dept. I'm classed as a remote worker as my work needs me to cover a geographical area. This means my work starts the second I leave my door and my travel expense are paid for.
Now I'm a cyclist. I love riding my bike for leisure, and I've had 2 bikes on the cycle to work scheme. I was informed by my manager that if I were to cycle into work on my office days, I'd claim expenses based on the milage. It's a short trip, 6 miles, so I'm not talking mega money here, a few pounds a day if that.
So I done my first cycle commute to the office and then submitted an expense for the 6 miles.
This was then declined by finance for as they couldn't verify mileage on bicycles. They never asked me for proof, just computer said no. Apparently no one in the history of my employer has claimed expenses for the cycle before. I sincerely doubt this as I know a director used to before he left 4 years ago.
Finances own policy gives the rate of 20p per mile cycled so its definitely something covered, and my bikes were bought with the cycle 2 work scheme.

What would mumsnet advise me to do. Finance and their policy aren't on the same page. I don't want to be left out of pocket. For me a grievance feels like the way forward.

Can't you escalate to your manager to speak to finance?

A grievance seems a bit much!

What expense are you accruing?

Manager simply said for me to raise with finance. Which I did.

The same expenses you accrue using a car for business, wear and tear.

They surely verify by proving your home address and how far that is from work?

If there is a policy for bike expenses there must be a way to claim.

No need for a grievance at all, just escalate it normally within Finance, acknowledge the policy in place and try and resolve with the least hassle all round.

I've had 2 bikes on the cycle to work scheme

Are you able to buy these bikes at a discounted rate ? If so then doesn't that cover your mileage ?
Are you able to use the bike/s in your own time for personal use ?.

So there is a policy for bikes, they are just refusing to apply it? The CS is huge, there must be other people who use this policy/cycle to meetings. I would start informally and see where you get to. If that’s what you have already done, then yes, follow your grievance process. However I would defo try and sort this out informally - it can’t be the first time this situation has happened, and might just be an oversight/confusion of an inexperienced member of finance.

Batshit

Would your finance team accept evidence from an app that tracks your distance OP?

Are you the only cyclist in the country who doesn't use Strava or Garmin or similar? Every cyclists I know is obsessed with data! Why not just put strava on your phone and say you'll send the rides to the finance department. They'll get fed up with that pretty quickly!

Better option as PP have said is to bring a counsel tax bill or similar with proof of address and a Google maps print out of your route between home and work that shows the idtance.

If they aren’t following their own policy just press them on it, no need for a grievance.

Also not sure if you/your finance dept are aware, but strictly you should be paying tax on mileage expenses paid to you. Although your contract says you’re a remote worker, if you go to the same office 3x a week then HMRC will deem it to be your normal place of work. Expenses reimbursed for home to normal place of work are not allowable for tax.

I use strava, have the garmin mounted on my bars. I've offered it to HR and they just came back and said no. This is the head of finance I'm talking to.

How do they verify the mileage on a car?? Do they take readings from the speedometer or use photographic evidence? I don't ever recall having to do that.
Whenever I claim mileage it is from starting postcode to destination postcode so I cant see why they cant do this with a bicycle.

@ToBeOrNotToBee retired CS HR, this is ridiculous. Yes you need to raise a grievance as that will get it sorted asap.

I am not clear if it is HR or Head of Finance/Finance Director or if it’s both saying no. The aim is to raise a grievance with the reporting officer of the person(s) saying no.

If you are in a TU speak to your rep and ask them for support.

Follow the grievance process but keep it simple. Send an email to the Head of Finance and Head of HR clearly stating you are raising a grievance against them as the policy owners. State that they have failed to correctly apply their own travel and subsistence policy. Attach a copy of the policy and point out that there is provision for you to claim 20p per mile. Provide details of the journey e.g. your home address, the office address, a copy of your garmin mileage and use an online tool to show mileage e.g. AA Route planner. Also include the time taken on the return journey ( this should be paid working time).

Point out that the journey by car is x miles for which you can claim £0.45 per mile (check policy) which would be £. Travel by public transport would be £. In both cases provide evidence of costs and include the actual travel time. So you claiming for cycle journey is costing the business far less.

Note: The reason for raising the grievance against the Heads of Finance and HR is so you can appeal to the Perm Sec/CEO and keep it internal.

I have literally never heard of someone claiming mileage for using a bike? I understand on a car coz of all the associated costs but not on a bike!

If you are in the office regularly then there is a good chance that you can’t claim expenses unless they are taxed

I have to be honest I wouldn't claim expenses for cycling to work. I can't see what expense you are incurring.
You say you do this as you like cycling so it's your chosen mode.
I'd only claim if travelling was incurring expenses for myself.
I don't think you are necessarily thinking about the benefits you have already had by using the cycle to work scheme and the benefit to your own health etc .
Why would you want to raise a grievance.

If it’s your office base for your office days can you defiantly claim? I claim either from home or from my office, whichever is closer, but can’t claim from home to office base even if I go in on a wfh day.

Because it sounds like they have a policy allowing for mileage that they're not sticking to which is unfair

Think this is the best comment

Thank you both. This is exactly what I needed.