using personal car for company use

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1101

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#295280 18-Mar-2022 13:40

What are your thoughts on being required to use your own car for company(work ) use
ie, use your own car to visit clients, go onsite for jobs etc etc

This is whats expected where I work , and its the way its allways been since day1

Even when you get an allowance for work related miles ....
- your insurance premiums are much higher, you need to tell the Insurance company the car will be used as a work
vehicle
- there is all the extra milage added onto the car .
- any prangs or car damage,scrapes in car parks , its on you(me)

Just asking as my car was broken into while onsite at a clients (it was in a public car park)
So , the cost of repairs is on me . My Boss isnt interested .

So , Im thinking , if it happens again , Ill have to say no more. That will affect my employment .
Any thoughts on this ?

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#2888243 18-Mar-2022 14:08

Was that a condition of your employment?

And is it in your contract?

What if you sell your car and don't replace it?

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#2888258 18-Mar-2022 14:32

I would occasionally use mine and would be reimbursed at $0.76 per km.

My car wasn't brought brand new, and was a diesel so the actual costs were minimal and I made money from it.

IRD have a guideline on this and it's broken into two tiers. Google it a bit as it's not a single value per km.

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#2888264 18-Mar-2022 14:44

Last time I was in that situation, I left the company (not just because of that tho, but was good chunk of reason).

Company only covered gas, nothing else and I was fine with that to start with but had verbal agreement that within 6 months I would either have a lease car or the company would buy my car and do it that way. Neither happened and when bringing it up with the boss, he asked me to give him what I thought was a fair figure for running the car yearly etc.... so my wife who is in accounts and a whiz at sorting these sort of figures, worked it out using the IRD figures.

Gave it to the boss and he laughed and said no way are those figures correct - said he was welcome to get his accountant to check them over. He didnt.

I asked what would happen if my car blew up...... "on you" was the response.

So expected me to pay $**** amount to run around for him.

Any job after that, that mentioned using my car, I made sure it was in the contract that usage would be covered by the company etc.

So as mentioned above, check your contract, and if not mentioned there, then follow it up politely with your boss explaining the situation.

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#2888265 18-Mar-2022 14:48

I'd look long and hard at my contract...if you're paid an allowance, that's part of the deal - you supply the vehicle. But if you're simply reimbursed for mileage, with no regular payments for a vehicle, then I'd be saying no to using my own vehicle and I'd be catching cabs EVERYWHERE.

Fairly broad info here: https://www.employment.govt.nz/workplace-policies/work-equipment-and-clothing/vehicles/

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#2888266 18-Mar-2022 14:48

What's the orgs policy on it? They should have clearly documented policy that outlines everything including recompense. If it's required for your job I'd say they should go a level above the standard mileage payment and provide some kind of fuel/maintenance allowance too. The standard mileage is fine if you're only using your personal car for work intermittently, but permanently is different IMO, and the standard isn't enough.

panther2

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#2888347 18-Mar-2022 16:22

Ird is 79 cents/km

Also had the same discussion as we sometimes travel up north for work and now we just request hire cars.

mudguard

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#2888352 18-Mar-2022 16:42

gehenna:

What's the orgs policy on it? They should have clearly documented policy that outlines everything including recompense. If it's required for your job I'd say they should go a level above the standard mileage payment and provide some kind of fuel/maintenance allowance too. The standard mileage is fine if you're only using your personal car for work intermittently, but permanently is different IMO, and the standard isn't enough.

79c per km is pretty generous. At my work I'm on 36c (plus $15k salary). New hires are on 76c and no salary. So now I fly a lot, and they drive a lot.

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#2888356 18-Mar-2022 16:47

Whenever I use my private car for work purposes (very exceptional), I use the IRD rate for reimbursements. All of the companies I've worked at have had that policy.

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#2888361 18-Mar-2022 17:01

1101:

Any thoughts on this ?

Your boss is a dick, look for a new job. There's quite literally probably never going to be a better time to get a new job.

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#2888362 18-Mar-2022 17:09

The short answer is it depends.

If it’s in your contract and was disclosed when you were hired then that’s on you - it’s what you signed up for and the overall remuneration package (hopefully) reflects that.

If it’s not in your contract then it’s a point for discussion.

If it’s not working for you and management won’t address it then it’s time to find a new job. There is nothing wrong with saying to your boss that this is a major problem for you and you need it addressed. If they don’t address it then it’s time to polish your CV.

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#2888438 18-Mar-2022 18:27

We used to have a little runaround car that the guys could use when going to site, but my experience at the time was they preferred to use their own as long as they were reimbursed for mileage. We got rid of the shared car because it wasn't being used.

The IRD mileage rate takes fuel, servicing, repairs, insurance, and depreciaton into account. If you have a brand new v8 Lexus, the (current) 79c rate is not enough. If you are driving a 15 year old diesel Corolla, the 79c rate is very generous.

When I set the rates we currently use, it was based on advice from the AA about appropriate rates. While dates, this AA forum post gives some insight: https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/ask-an-expert/fuel-and-economy/show/6048/

I'm overdue to revise these and will do so next month when I do reviews with our team who do an average of 2 client site visits a week within Auckland. I'll order this report to use: https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/owning-a-car/fuel-prices-and-types/vehicle-running-cost/

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#2888843 19-Mar-2022 22:14

This is the standard culture and policy of most if not all community support worker in NZ who visit clients on their residences. If I’m not mistaken they are on a $27/hr salary and 0.65c/km reimbursement nothing more

Bung

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Uber Geek

#2888854 20-Mar-2022 01:02

I don't know what business use insurance costs but our private use insurance from Vero allows some business use but does not cover you if you are transporting goods or using the vehicle

"in connection with the motor trade or
for business purposes by commission
agents, sales or service persons,
commercial travellers, insurance
representatives, insurance assessors,
motor driving instructors, stock, station
or real estate agents"

If you don't change insurance check that your provider hasn't excluded what you do.

mudguard

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#2888893 20-Mar-2022 09:26

Bung: I don't know what business use insurance costs but our private use insurance from Vero allows some business use but does not cover you if you are transporting goods or using the vehicle

If you don't change insurance check that your provider hasn't excluded what you do.

Yeah my insurance is 90% business use. I remember them asking if I was transporting goods or just me.

Delphinus

594 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2888924 20-Mar-2022 11:37

Westpac seems to be one of the more open terms around business use of a private vehicle.

I interpret this as you're covered for business use provided you're not carrying fare paying passengers, nor couriering goods, nor racing:

Use of your vehicle
The covers under this Section only apply in the following circumstances:
– the loss occurs in New Zealand, and
– the vehicle is being driven by you or any other person with your permission, and
the driver holds a valid driver licence for the vehicle being driven, and complies
with it. (These restrictions do not apply if any person steals or illegally converts
your vehicle, but you must lay a complaint with the Police), and
the vehicle is being used for any of the following purposes:
> private, social, domestic
> farm work
> business or professional purposes but only if:
(a) it is not excluded below, and
(b) you are the driver, and
(c) the distance travelled in any 12 month period is less than 40,000
Kilometres
> religious, social welfare or youth organisation work
> to teach a person to drive, provided all legal requirements are
complied with.
The covers do not apply while the vehicle is being used in any of the following
circumstances:
– to carry or deliver goods as a courier or for any similar commercial activity
– in connection with the motor trade, other than while being repaired or serviced
– to carry fare-paying passengers
– preparing or practising for, or taking part in or imitating any race, time trial,
rally, sprint or drag race, or any similar motor sport, event, demonstration
or test
– on any race track
– under any type of hire arrangement or agreement
– by a motor driving instructor unless it is to teach you or a member of your
immediate family to drive.

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