Employer's Jurisdiction

vedwards

Hi, the company, located on IDA land, I work for is undergoing expansion - so a new car park was built some distance (~0.5Km) away from the original building. There is a derelict private building (possibly in NAMA) with ample parking adjacent to my place of work that we have been using for convenience sake during the dark winter mornings.
The company have issued several warnings about parking is nearby businesses and tomorrow will address our current parking location.
Have they a right to dictate where we can park our private cars during work hours?

Thank you in advance.

Peregrinus

Yes. If your conduct on the way too and from work is causing a problem and this is taken to reflect on the employer, that's a legitimate concern for the employer and he can address it with you. So if, e.g. a neighbouring property owner is objecting to his workforce parking on the neighbouring property, the employer can issue instructions that its workers are not to do that, and breach of those can be a disciplinary matter.

vedwards

Thank you for your opinion Peregrinus.

To me this would border infringing my civil liberties.

braddun

tell him to feck off and you will park at the dole office

Peregrinus

Then don't take the job!

Seriously, I can see why you're pissed, but you can see that this is a circumstance in which your actions do affect your employer's reputation and standing, and he is legitimately concerned about that. And employees owe their employers a duty duty of loyalty; it should concern you if what you are doing is reflecting badly on your employer.

This is probably an issue best not resolved through legal mechanisms. On the one hand, the employer's concerns are legitimate. On the other hand, he has an interest in keeping his workforce happy and making it easy for them to come to work. A 500-metre walk through the wind and rain each day is not ideal; he needs to explore, e.g., makign a deal with the owner of the unoccupied premises whereby he gets the right for his workers to park there. (But maybe he's tried that; I don't know.) Or maybe he needs to think about a shuttle bus. Or something.

And, on a nitpick, your civil liberties have never included the liberty to park on someone else's land without permission. What your employer is asking you not to do is not something you have any right to do.

Pro Hoc Vice

vedwards wrote: »

Thank you for your opinion Peregrinus.

To me this would border infringing my civil liberties.

Is is a civil liberty to trespass. Just as an example say the place you are parking is a house nearby, in their driveway, is your employer infringing your civil liberties saying please dont park in that place if you are coming to work. The only person taking liberties is not your employer. You and your employer should consider neighbours. Bloody rights culture.