Fairness issue at work

Soldato
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Hi guys,

Just want some clarification/common sense before I go to my union at work.

I work for a reasonable sized company, general staff drive liveried vans/pickups management/ fixed site staff have company cars.

Last month my pick-up was equipped with a black box telemetry unit, we were told that these units were designed to only monitor our driving for insurance and safety.

Que this morning I have received an email from a random manager stating the following:
* I have repeatedly done 60mph on nsl roads, my pickup is registered as a dual purpose vehicle so has same speed limits as a car.
* engine was switched on and van moved on the weekend when not on call, had to move van off drive for delivery. Literally moved it 10 yards.
* van was sat idling on site for 4 hours, said site has no power supply and was charging all my test equipment and laptop.
* van wasn’t started or moved till 9 am yesterday, I am contracted 8-4 but previous day had done a 16 hour shift, which my boss lets us have a relaxed early morning start the next day.

The knob has said he will be forwarding this information to my line manager and network engineering.

Pretty sure none of the above is in the agreed scope of the original installation bar the speed in the nsl.

Also got a bitchy reply back when I asked if the company cars have had telemetry boxes fitted, as these are under the same insurance and aren’t limited.

Questioning whether to go to my union about this?

Any suggestions
 
Permabanned
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* I have repeatedly done 60mph on nsl roads, my pickup is registered as a dual purpose vehicle so has same speed limits as a car.
Just apologize, don't kick up a fuss just say you didn't realize and it won't happen again and you will monitor your speed better.

* engine was switched on and van moved on the weekend when not on call, had to move van off drive for delivery. Literally moved it 10 yards.
State this in your letter.

* van was sat idling on site for 4 hours, said site has no power supply and was charging all my test equipment and laptop.
Tell them this.

* van wasn’t started or moved till 9 am yesterday, I am contracted 8-4 but previous day had done a 16 hour shift, which my boss lets us have a relaxed early morning start the next day.
Tell them this then.

IMO don't kick up a fuss they will mark your back with a big red invisible X!
 
Soldato
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60mph on NSL roads. I must be missing the issue here or my brain isn't working.
Aren't the nsl for cars 60 single and 70 for dual carriageway.
 
Soldato
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I agree with MrBell, i'd answer all the questions to the "manager" exactly has you have here because all of that seems entirely reasonable imho.

Watch your back though, they are obviously picking over all the records over and above "insurance" use so no using the van to drop stuff off to the tip ;)
 
Soldato
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I would explain all the above and then ask if they're going to harass you about the reasonable use of your company vehicle in the future
 
Soldato
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Pretty sure it's illegal to track employees' vehicle use outside of work hours. Although as it's not supposed to be used personally in this case (unlike a company car), maybe that doesn't apply here (?)
 
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we were told that these units were designed to only monitor our driving for insurance and safety.
thats just an excuse to get them installed

we had them fitted and generally they left you alone, but when they had an issue with you they were scrutinised, unfortunately you might have to get used to it!

but they used the same excuse to get them fitted and strangely sales and managers never had them fitted, its just an excuse to monitor you
 
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Just thought, maybe you could ask if anyone else has received a letter to see if anyone else is having any issues? Might be a common natural thing to be doing with colleagues and you just might not know about it until now.

Pretty sure it's illegal to track employees' vehicle use outside of work hours. Although as it's not supposed to be used personally in this case (unlike a company car), maybe that doesn't apply here (?)

They track when turned on not when they are turned off this is why it's been picked up like this.

I don't think it's illegal if people are told that the vans are been tracked and data can be pulled from it at any time.
 
Associate
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I've worked at a small company that had trackers on the vans for "insurance and mileage reasons" but they were pretty relaxed on usage to be fair.
Only real negative was when you'd have a good day and be on for an early finish only to get a call to go to a job on the way home.

He never questioned speeding or weekend/evening usage though so it didn't feel invasive.
 
Man of Honour
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I'd be replying to the email and copying my line manager in - better to bring it up yourself than let the numpty originator take the power - and explaining calmly and politely your reasoning you've put above. I'd also ask for the policy that restricts you from doing any of those things.
 
Soldato
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The only thing I would say is that surely your vehicle doesn't need to idling for 4 hours to charge your test equipment?

Was charging the following as using throughout the day
* laptop
* portable WiFi
* Camera
* work phone
* gasco seeker
* spare battery on impact drill
* rechargeable batteries

Would drain the battery in minutes if the engine wasn’t on.

60mph on NSL roads. I must be missing the issue here or my brain isn't working.
Aren't the nsl for cars 60 single and 70 for dual carriageway.

Yep, I was doing the legal limit.


Apparently I’m not the only one that got this type of message, others have had it worse.
Apparently the new transits have the doors monitored as well. Also we are contracted to work from home and some days you finish early and end up h9me at 2 But other days you don’t go home till the next day, the ops managers know this so look the other way as long as the work gets done. As sometimes you get called out when not on call.

Everyone on the WhatsApp group is saying they are going to go to site for 8 and leave sites at 4, book travel overtime from now on.
 
Soldato
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Unless it's a car-derived van, it's actually 50/60 for vans and trucks. Something that's not known by a lot or ignored.
Pickups are classed as dual purpose so have same speed limit as cars, if the pickup has rear seats with seat belts that are tested in a mot, then its dual purpose.

Was the guy not knowing his bloody job
 
Soldato
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yeah this seems to be the future of working for these faceless companies
no care for their employees just squeeze every bit of energy from you while making maximum profit
save 5p by telling you not to start your van and move it. track you into the ground
i'd wait and see what your manager says to you and take it up with the union if you feel its necessary
 
Soldato
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Should you not have been doing this in the first place if this is what you are contracted too?

No, we are classed as working from home, so if I have a job that only takes 3 hours, but takes 3 hours to get to and from site.
We are supposed to go home and do admin or emails, as most of our sites don’t have a building or internet coverage.

So now we will sit on site for the 8 hours, then book overtime for travel and admin.

It’s like saying that someone that works from home isn’t in the office enough
 
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