Work benefit/perks removed

[Ian H]

If we were working far away from home we were entitled to claim £6 for a breakfast if we set off before 6am and £10 evening meal if we were out past 8pm.

That was, for example today, i’m working just below Tamworth 112 miles from home. I would set off at 05:45 to beat the traffic and get a breakfast near the job. If the job was an awkward one I would stay on site to finish it and get something to eat on the way home.

I rarely got the evening meal but regularly (6 times a month) took the breakfast.


That just been stopped so i’ve told my boss i’ll be setting off at 7am at the earliest after having breakfast at home and will set off from site to get home so I can have my evening meal with my family.

He said other engineers don’t claim it and some set off at 5am to which I replied ‘I don’t care about what others do’, which I don’t, that’s nothing to do with me.

I asked him if he could confirm my expected start time and define my working area. He couldn’t and just said they expect me inside between 8 and 10am and to take some toast with me. I’m sure 2 hour old toast will be lovely and fuel me for a day of digging.


So i’m wondering, can they take the perk away? Can they expect me to set off early if they choose to send me long distance?

 

[^woody^]

If these are not written into your contract then they can be removed without your consent.

There was a recent (2015) EU court decision that stated that workers with no fixed place of work are "at work" on their journey to their first job, so this counts as working time under the contract and Working Time Directive.

 

[SirGalahad]

If we were working far away from home we were entitled to claim £6 for a breakfast if we set off before 6am and £10 evening meal if we were out past 8pm.

That was, for example today, i’m working just below Tamworth 112 miles from home. I would set off at 05:45 to beat the traffic and get a breakfast near the job. If the job was an awkward one I would stay on site to finish it and get something to eat on the way home.

I rarely got the evening meal but regularly (6 times a month) took the breakfast.


That just been stopped so i’ve told my boss i’ll be setting off at 7am at the earliest after having breakfast at home and will set off from site to get home so I can have my evening meal with my family.

He said other engineers don’t claim it and some set off at 5am to which I replied ‘I don’t care about what others do’, which I don’t, that’s nothing to do with me.

I asked him if he could confirm my expected start time and define my working area. He couldn’t and just said they expect me inside between 8 and 10am and to take some toast with me. I’m sure 2 hour old toast will be lovely and fuel me for a day of digging.


So i’m wondering, can they take the perk away? Can they expect me to set off early if they choose to send me long distance?

No offence but your Boss is taking the proverbial.

 

[Ian H]

If these are not written into your contract then they can be removed without your consent.

There was a recent (2015) EU court decision that stated that workers with no fixed place of work are "at work" on their journey to their first job, so this counts as working time under the contract and Working Time Directive.

It’s not in my contract but in the employee handbook. There been 4 pages added about time off for Adoption so I think a manager must be planning to adopt.

I’m on the M6 50miles from home now, job was easy and i’m starving!!

 

[motorbiking]

Working time directive is a good general angle, but you may have opted out.

Its not clear, is this change of policy to apply to you only or does it apply to all of the team?

Is he planning to issue an update to the terms - employee handbook or whatever?

 

[Ian H]

Working time directive, I may have opted out of that, does it limit you to 48hours/week or something?

It’s removed for everyone but apparently only myself, my labourer and one other guy ever claimed it. Not that that changes my feelings of having it taken away.

They have given us a copy of the new handbook which has the food allowance section removed.

I’ll have to have a look at my contract.

 

[Iamchamps]

Are you getting paid for the 6am start and 8pm finish? If the answer is yes then I would not expect to have my food bill covered.

If you are paid for 8 to 4 for instance but are expected to be on the job for a certain time regardless of distance meaning you have to leave early then I would expect it as a form of compensation.

 

[Ian H]

I’m paid from when I leave home which is good. Me leaving early to beat traffic was a benefit to the company because i’d be on a distant site at 8am and in return i’d get my breakfast.

Now without the free breakfast, I don’t want my breakfast at home before 6.30 and I don’t want to buy it so i’ll be leaving at 7 regardless of how far I have to travel. That means as soon as I hit the M62 they are paying me to sit in a traffic jam.

Or they could keep me local.

 

[Brigadier]

I know what you mean regarding wanting to beat the traffic but also not wanting to eat breakfast at silly o'clock, which is why.....

...I take a plastic cereal bowl, spoon, granola and milk with me.

Start far-flung job at 7 or 8, and have brekkie at say ten

 

[SirGalahad]

I know what you mean regarding wanting to beat the traffic but also not wanting to eat breakfast at silly o'clock, which is why.....

...I take a plastic cereal bowl, spoon, granola and milk with me.

Start far-flung job at 7 or 8, and have brekkie at say ten

I thought you were office based?

Hearing your stories of having to take your breakfast to your site provides me with a new sense of appreciation that I do have it quite easy.

 

[Brigadier]

I do what needs doing, whether from the office, from home, giving some assistance to the troops, or doing it meself.

 

[mattylad]

So your going to put yourself through the hassles of traffic jams AND get on the negative sides of the boss all for a couple of slices of toast?

 

[Ian H]

No, it’s normally a fry up.

It’s the principle, it’s always been included and now it’s been taken away. It increases my cost of living so I see it as a pay cut.

 

[noseall]

So your going to put yourself through

No, but his gaffer is.

 

[Notch7]

No, it’s normally a fry up

Perhaps theyve taken away the brekkie perk because they are worried about your cholesterol level and too polite to say you are becoming a bit of a porker