Damage to company van, who pays?

[merc_fintail]

Hi everybody

I normally post on here for help with my wife's business questions but today it`s me and my incident today. I am an employed tradesman and have a 22 plate van provided to me by my employer. Today I swiped the side of it on another works van and I`m guessing around £6000.00 of damage to the side door, side panel and rear bumper. Adding metallic paint, sign writing and the other van, it`s not going to be cheap!

In my defence I hadn't eaten and was being pressured to get back to help unload a truck. It was my fault though, a momentary laps of concentration pulling the van in to soon, causing the damage. I am gutted!

I would presume it is covered fully comprehensive under the employers fleet insurance but my boss has just said "What are you going to do about it!" I don`t have £6/8K to pay for the repairs and I don`t think anything is written in my contract that states this. Fine if its the odd scratch but this is substantial. Is insurance not there for this sort of thing.

Does anybody know what normally happens in this situation? I was quite happy using my own van but the boss wanted me in their sign written one, which I understand. I just didn't think it would be such a liability.

Thanks Paul.

 

[Ozzy]

It would be normal for a company to insure their vehicles fully comprehensive. I know I do and in the past when I had a company car and I caused damage the company insurance covered it. So...

but my boss has just said "What are you going to do about it!"

Reply with "Ah ok you need me to put the call in to the insurance as the person who normal handles this is busy, no worries, do you have their number?"
I say that somewhat tongue in cheek but the principle is the same, at worse you may be asked to cover the excess but that would come down to what is in your employment contract. I definitely would not expect you to cover the repairs though and suspect he's trying it on to avoid making an insurance claim - but that's not your issue and why insurance exists.

 

[fisicx]

Like @Ozzy said, it’s up to the company insurance to sort out. Not your problem.

 

[Bob Morgan]

Your Employer is about to find out what 'Fully Comprehensive' means!

 

[MBE2017]

I think the only grounds your employer might have is being annoyed at your carelessness. A friend of mine had two accidents in his company car within two weeks of the first, and got shown the door because of it.

I knew his boss well and mentioned he had forgotten he had worked for nine years with no accidents up to that point, all he did was lose a top sales guy.

 

[BustersDogs]

What is in your employment contract? I have it in my contract about damage to my vehicles by employees, so it's very clear who is responsible for what.

With regards insurance, no, we don't have insurance so our drivers can drive without due care and attention and smash up our vehicles.

 

[WaveJumper]

Maybe a cautionary tale here for those driving company vehicles to make sure they are fully covered when driving ie the vehicle is properly insured for them to drive and there's no catch 22 clause in the employment contract.

 

[merc_fintail]

What is in your employment contract? I have it in my contract about damage to my vehicles by employees, so it's very clear who is responsible for what.

With regards insurance, no, we don't have insurance so our drivers can drive without due care and attention and smash up our vehicles.

I have in my contract that I should get breaks and a lunch but seven hours straight and being pressured on to the next task, on a 38c day isn't an ideal situation for full care and attention.

Thirty plus years of driving and I have never done this sort of thing before.

I don't think my contract mentions vehicles at all.

 

[Newchodge]

2 separate issues.

The vehicle is insured to cover this kind of thing. It is possibe that your contract of employment requires that you pay the excess, but, if the contract is silent then you have no financial liability.

Your employer may want to have a discussion with you about how the incident occurred and why, to try to ensure it does not happen again. The result of that discussion could be anything from a note on your record to formal disciplinary action, depending on all the circumstances.

 

[Newchodge]

I have in my contract that I should get breaks and a lunch but seven hours straight and being pressured on to the next task, on a 38c day isn't an ideal situation for full care and attention.

And that is what you would, politely, explain to your employer. Does your van have a taco?

 

[WaveJumper]

If breaks are in your contract take them

 

[fisicx]

I have in my contract that I should get breaks and a lunch but seven hours straight and being pressured on to the next task, on a 38c day isn't an ideal situation for full care and attention.

Their pressure not yours. Take your breaks.

 

[BustersDogs]

I have in my contract that I should get breaks and a lunch but seven hours straight and being pressured on to the next task, on a 38c day isn't an ideal situation for full care and attention.

Thirty plus years of driving and I have never done this sort of thing before.

I don't think my contract mentions vehicles at all.

Don't let them get away with not taking your breaks, because your own insurance will likely go up also as you'll have this on your record for 5 years.

I had to add something to my contracts after a driver damaged my vehicle, didn't tell me, and disappeared for a week, leaving me short staffed and a vehicle to repair. Once bitten twice shy!

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Don't worry about it and as mentioned above - offer to deal with the insurance company to report the accident.

Unlikely your contract states you are responsible for cost of any damage, but it may make you responsible for the excess (although this is also unlikely).

 

[AlanJ1]

"What are you going to do about it!"

Sounds like a great employer...

 

[scstock]

In my last job I scraped the company van while parking to unload at an exhibition at the weekend. My boss never forgave me and it was the beginning of the end for me. My 2L Sierra was replaced by an ex-BSM 1.0 Nissan Micra. Every cloud though

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Does anybody know what normally happens in this situation?

You ask for an insurance claim/report form!

 

[paulears]

This isn't even unusual, I understand accidents in company car parks happen quite often. I also can't believe no other employee has ever had a ding and a claim. If the policy is to blame the employee and make them pay, then surely others would have complained angrily in the past. Insurance is for accidents, incidents and these kinds of things.

 

[Mr D]

Twice I've damaged company vehicles while on company business. Neither instance my fault (I say) however as there was nothing in my contract about vehicles I got off scot free regarding paying for it.
The fleet manager was not happy, my manager had no problem though.

 

[ecommerce84]

If it was common practice to charge employees for damages to vehicles, they’d never get anyone to drive them.

It’s definitely an insurance job, I actually find it a little worrying he even asked you tbh. It’s one of the hazards of a business that relies on vehicles and as such you get it covered by an insurance policy.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Twice I've damaged company vehicles while on company business.

That dont surprise me

 

[Mpg]

This amazes me.. So the company give you a laptop for work. You leave it on your car roof and drive off, Causing the laptop to smash on the ground...... If i was an emplyee I'd expect to pay for that...
Suppose it may be down to company equipment clause in your contract.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

This amazes me.. So the company give you a laptop for work. You leave it on your car roof and drive off, Causing the laptop to smash on the ground...... If i was an emplyee I'd expect to pay for that...
Suppose it may be down to company equipment clause in your contract.

I don't think he was driving a Laptop?

 

[alan1302]

This amazes me.. So the company give you a laptop for work. You leave it on your car roof and drive off, Causing the laptop to smash on the ground...... If i was an emplyee I'd expect to pay for that...
Suppose it may be down to company equipment clause in your contract.

For something like that you get a disciplinary though...and expect you would not get away with doing it again...glad I don't work for you

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

This amazes me.. So the company give you a laptop for work. You leave it on your car roof and drive off, Causing the laptop to smash on the ground...... If i was an emplyee I'd expect to pay for that...
Suppose it may be down to company equipment clause in your contract.

Back in the 60s 70s and the 80s It was a common trade union agreement that employees must not pay for damaged goods or plant ect .
You would certainly have to readjust your cash flow predictions based on the fact that nobody would care !