Travel expenses

mmooney1983

Hi there

My work have put me in a six month placement just outside Dublin (where I live). I don't drive, nor was it a condition of my contract that I do.
My new role has me in Celbridge every day, but some days I will need to travel to Naas for the afternoon. I can get the Dublin Bus to Celbridge and there's also a Bus Eireann bus to Naas from Dublin. But there's no public transport between Naas and Celbridge.
Beyond getting a bus back into Dublin and out to Naas, if I'm expected to be finishing in Celbridge at 1 and starting in Naas at 2, should they be providing me with a taxi if they need me to be on time?

Stheno

Does your contract say anything about being required to work in different locations from time to time?

mmooney1983

No, just in relation to reimbursing for relocation expenses if due to unexpected circumstances you are shifted somewhere else.
All of us generally work between a few different locations but in Dublin it's grand because there's public transport available.

Stheno

mmooney1983 wrote: »

No, just in relation to reimbursing for relocation expenses if due to unexpected circumstances you are shifted somewhere else.
All of us generally work between a few different locations but in Dublin it's grand because there's public transport available.

I'd say you've not much of a case to get them to pay for a taxi so.

Have you asked them?

mmooney1983

Nope
But I guess if I finish in Celbridge at 1, all I can do is get the bus back into town and back out to Naas - there's no way I'd make it for 2 though
Not sure of any other way around it

Stheno

mmooney1983 wrote: »

Nope
But I guess if I finish in Celbridge at 1, all I can do is get the bus back into town and back out to Naas - there's no way I'd make it for 2 though
Not sure of any other way around it

You may find that your company will expect you to be there. It's not their issue how you get yourself to work on time.

You might need to ask for a different placement

Mrs OBumble

Talk to them. Offer a taxi as one solution - but give them a chance to offer other solutions, too.

If may be that they assume you drive. Even if you did, then to use your car to travel between sites during the day you could need to get your insurance changes to allow work use. So they would face a cost for that.

Mrs OBumble

Stheno wrote: »

You may find that your company will expect you to be there. It's not their issue how you get yourself to work on time.

If you have to shift locations during the working day, then yes, it is their issue. It's also their issue to make sure that you get an legally required breaks during the day, too.

mmooney1983

I have no choice in the placement.
I'm really looking forward to it to be honest but find it a bit weird how a Govt agency (HSE) would expect you to go between two locations that have no public transport links in an hour (yes, during lunchbreaks!). Course - I'll talk to the boss on the first day and I'm sure we will figure something out. It must have come up before for them.

Stheno

mmooney1983 wrote: »

I have no choice in the placement.
I'm really looking forward to it to be honest but find it a bit weird how a Govt agency (HSE) would expect you to go between two locations that have no public transport links in an hour (yes, during lunchbreaks!). Course - I'll talk to the boss on the first day and I'm sure we will figure something out. It must have come up before for them.

You can get a bus from celbridge to clane, then clane to naas, check www.a-b.ie

Stheno

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If you have to shift locations during the working day, then yes, it is their issue. It's also their issue to make sure that you get an legally required breaks during the day, too.

What legislation specifically covers employers obligations for mobile workers who move locations in a working day?

dev100

mmooney1983 wrote:

My work have put me in a six month placement just outside Dublin (where I live). I don't drive, nor was it a condition of my contract that I do. My new role has me in Celbridge every day, but some days I will need to travel to Naas for the afternoon. I can get the Dublin Bus to Celbridge and there's also a Bus Eireann bus to Naas from Dublin. But there's no public transport between Naas and Celbridge. Beyond getting a bus back into Dublin and out to Naas, if I'm expected to be finishing in Celbridge at 1 and starting in Naas at 2, should they be providing me with a taxi if they need me to be on time?

Just simply tell them transport will be needed to provide you with transport or to cover costs of moving between 2 sites.

Stheno

@ OP I looked up the Revenue site, and the travel from Celbridge to Naas is an expense that's allowed to be claimed tax free, so perhaps mention that also.

ALthough if you are a contractor working for another company and not the HSE direct, then you'd need to sort that out with your own office.

2RockMountain

mmooney1983 wrote: »

I have no choice in the placement.
I'm really looking forward to it to be honest but find it a bit weird how a Govt agency (HSE) would expect you to go between two locations that have no public transport links in an hour (yes, during lunchbreaks!). Course - I'll talk to the boss on the first day and I'm sure we will figure something out. It must have come up before for them.

Are you a direct HSE employee, or are you working through an agency? If you are a direct employee, then HSE expenses would apply.

mmooney1983

Yeah direct employee. Thanks all.

2RockMountain

Staff travel would presumably apply if they require you to be away from your base in Celbridge;

http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/benefitsservices/Travel_Subsistence/