I think a lot of you Dealer guys have drank the coolaid. Daryl has a legit complaint. I was a Field Service Tech. for 9 years. In my company, you start out working in the shop. You have to be @ 75% of top pay and have been with the company for a certain amount of time before you're even considered for Field Service. Once you are Field Service, you can be called out anytime at any hour for a repair. The customers billing begins, when I was dispatched, whether it be from the shop, my house or another job. Luckly I work for a good company and that issue never came up. As Daryl said, the company is being paid. Part of a company being a good service company, is taking care of their employees. Not taking advantage of them. When the employee is being taken care of, they'll care more and take better care of the customer. It's a win, win for everyone.

*** it up or turn in your van and drive to the shop everyday.
the benefit you get for the Van and to work from Home is not a real good argument.
I used to do 1 hour for free for the privilege of not having to drive to the shop everyday and load up.
get real!
Doc

My possible solution would be to start earlier, drive your personal vehicle to the depot at 6 or 7 in the morning and take off in the company vehicle, then you could start your time when you leave your depot (6:30-7ish) and then you would be able to avoid traffic. That way you wouldnt feel that you are "working for nothing", breaking UK employment laws, having to report company vehicle use for personal use, etc. You also would not have to have the company vehicle in your drive taking up your space (I do not know UK tax laws, but personal storage of a company asset may be something you need to report).

I believe under this scenario, all potential problems are solved. Please inform me if they are not, and if you bring up the issue with your employer about the "working for nothing/breaking of UK employment law" I am sure that they would be willing to agree to this arrangement to ensure full compliance.

We are getting a little off track,I for a very long time worked as an engineer in a workshop i traveled to work in my own car and at my own expense and I started at eight and finished at five with all the correct breaks. Not a problem my choice.However now I am a field engineer my first job is not at the depot, in fact I try to go as little as possible because that wastes money,I am available to set off to any of our customers sites straight away thus enabling my employer to promise the customer a good response time. If I had to go to the shop first where I would start at eight I would then hit all the rush hour traffic and would not get to the first job for quite a while. So as you see the benefits are all in the employers favor even if you don`t take into account that the employer is still charging the customer for my time. And yes it may seem like I have a van for use to and from my work but I have got to put up with it on my drive when I get home because we are not allowed private use unless we pay a hefty tax bill.

Cowboys keep your pants on sunshine :)

Nice,,,, Cowboys,I like it, you covered it all.I work with a lot of this type, If it's one thing it's another. I drive 70 miles one way, and with a lot of my friends out of work and losing thier houses,cars and everythig eles, I'm happy to have a job.
140 miles round trip,not that bad.

I assume the company pays for your vechicle, insurance, and fuel to drive to and from your home, that is a lot of $$ everyday. For employees that work in the office/at the shop they do not have that expense paid for and I know of many that live quite a distance from their workplace. If you do not like "not charging" your employer for the first 1/2 hour that you are driving their vehicle, using their fuel, and assuming risk under their insurance; then you can try my idea of parking at the shop and driving to and from work everyday. Or another idea would be to move closer to work, I work in an office and I drive well over 1 hour everyday to and from work at my expense, this is a choice I have made to live where I live and I do not complain or charge my employer for my drive time.

Another possible idea would be that you prorate the cost of the vehicle, insurance, and fuel that are used during the first 1/2 hour and reimburse your employer for that amount everyday.

Companies that provide employees with vehicles and allow them to drive it to and from work incur a lot of expense to do so. If you want to make it black and white and get rid of this gray area, then engineers can drive their personal vehicle to and from the shop, or a designated worksite everyday and eliminate this gray area.

My ideas are not THE solution, just possible solutions to the dilema that has been posted. I believe that if any employee is that unhappy at their current workplace over time billed to their employer then they should find an employer that makes them happy. Ultimately that is what we all want, to work happy, and play happy.

Thats ok if you live near the shop but what if its a 3 hour drive each way. Can I now charge them 2 1/2 hours overtime each way to get to work. I think not.

I have a solution to the "free first 1/2 hour". All engineers should drop their service vans off at the shop every day at the end of the day, get in their personal vehicle and drive it home. The next day they wake up and drive their personal vehicle to the shop and get in their service van and start their time then. Problem is solved, no more issue about taxes, insurance, working for free, etc.

Pass me that hankie quick. You poor old service guys. Life is so unfair to you.
I too, do not start getting paid until I am at my job. Strange that.

Last week I was called into a very big company main office to talk to the owner/president of the company.
I was asked to try and see if our company could save them Parts and Labor cost in these hard times...............I said sure NO PROBLEM.......one condition..............You ask my landlord, Insurance agent, Phone company, Hydro, Gas stations, ect... to give me a break on my billls and I would do the same for him.
He smiled and said I never thought of it that way.
WE ALL HAVE BILLS TO PAY.....

Penny pinching. Sounds like your company is joining in on the cost saving jamboree popular in these hard times.
Always a good opportunity for employers to use "Be thankful you have a job" as a big stick to ensure their employees toe the line

Sounds like penny pinching to me. With my last employer, I've had plenty of techs approach me on the travel issue. I always was fair and said if the job starts at 8:00 a.m. be at the job site at 8:00 a.m. However, while you are driving to the jobsite and have to drive past the (shop, base, branch, office) by 8:00 a.m. you will be paid travel to your destination. As for the insurance of the van, it will always have insurance whether in service or not it would be in the company's best interest.

Well, sounds like a lot of problems for everone, maybe sleep in an extra 1/2 hour.