[Closed] Cycling while "at work"

20p a mile, nothing else really. Only 16 people at my work though

Cycled 100 miles back from an event once and claimed my £20.

However, not to act smart I counted working time as the same time as the train would take - so in effect some of it was on my own time

Oh, with regards getting hurt surely it would be exactly the same if in a motor accident, assaulted on a train,tripped and fell or anything else

I have been known to, no specific policies that I've found. Claiming cycling expenses (13ppm I seem to remember) raised a few eyebrows when i claimed for cycling home Glasgow to Edinburgh on a sunny Friday afternoon...

I ride at work. pro hours training

I was expecting something really restrictive. Bike must be checked, helmet and hi viz sort of policy but nothing at all

Why would there be anything written down, cycling isn't a normal activity 😉 I used to claim from my NHS Trust employer when we had more sites, exactly same claim method as car miles.

This thread shows your personality type. Checking if there is a policy, reading about other employers policy. Seemingly slightly sad there is no policy. I would have just done it and if someone had a problem wait for them to raise it. Ask for forgiveness not permission.

Bike must be checked, helmet and hi viz sort of policy but nothing at all

I've claimed bike milage at my last company. AFAIK there was no policy beyond high vis and helmets had to be worn once on site (same as if you were walking).

I suppose the roadworthyness of your bike is your problem, do they insist that the cars mot is done at a council depot? If you were in a crash then not having all the bells and reflectors, high vis and helmet required or advised in the highway code might leave you foul of the H&S at work act as you were not doing everything the law / guidelines say you should. But that's getting into hypotheticals unless someone is aware of any cases where it's been tested?

Used to do it a lot.
Was based in a charity in Midlothian and had to go round visiting various other charities in the area to help them with computers etc

I used to claim 20ppm and no questions about the time - was generally quicker than public transport around there (rural buses aren't so great).

Was quite nice to cycle around in the sun and get paid for it. I was cycling in to the office anyway so had my bike and things with me. Just wore "normal" short sleeved shirt and shorts.

No policies on it as such, other than the mileage allowance and to try to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of driving where possible/suitable

Used to claim the 20p a mile when I was on a longer-term project at a customer who had decent bike parking and showering facilities. 10 miles each way so £20 a week (if I did every day) was nice rather than just getting my train fare covered.

No policies around it that I can find beyond being included in the mileage rates in the expenses policy.

I am not disappointed that there is no policy
Quite the opposite.

Seems weird to me but I cannot get in trouble for beaching a policy if there isn’t one.

It never even occurred to me to look for a policy. Cycling is just transport.

I often (or at least I did, job change makes it less likely) use train and bike to get to a client location and since I'm a mobile worker this counts as being at work. Never bothered claiming as it's just 15p off my tax code and there's not enough miles to justify the hassle of a tax return.

NHS Lothian has policy on using your own car which can be quite restrictive

Sounds like either they recognise that the benefits outweigh the risk so hi-viz etc. would be a pointless stipulation, or they just can't be arsed.

In my place 20p/mile is very easy to claim, I seem to remember last time it asked me for a number plate but either writing "BIKE" or ignoring it worked.

The first time I remember putting mileage in it was 2 miles each way for 2 weeks, and it made up about 50% of the total cycle business mileage in a company of 18000 or so employees.

"reasonable care" seems like a reasonable condition to put on something that is after all rare and relatively run of the mill for those likely to use it.

Is it wise to cycle if you have a bad injury. May not look good from your employers pov.

I cycle to and from work, and do all my home visits on the bike.. The patients love it!

No restrictions though, but I am the boss....!

At times I've had a medical student reluctantly sit in the back of the cargo bike for visits!

DrP

Isn't it a health and safety nightmare riding a tandem down the corridors of a hospital?

NHS Lothian has policy on using your own car which can be quite restrictive

I guess it's primarily insurance based or it "must be under X year / y 000moled?

At times I’ve had a medical student reluctantly sit in the back of the cargo bike for visits!

See what you need is a spare "practice" bike - electric maybe, so even your less able students can attend

I've got a several bikes at work one of which is permanently on a turbo trainer so I often cycle at work, in fact sometimes I come in to work on my days off just to ride it.

My last employer encouraged us to cycle to work, since that was in our own time therefore they weren't responsible for our safety, but prohibited cycling on company business, presumably because it was too dangerous.

TJ, in your position I'd do a risk assessment, including the effects of your injury, if any, record it, date the record and keep it somewhere where you (and only you) can access if you need it.

Why don't you provide an appropriate cycling policy for work? I'm sure living streets, Sustrans or Lee Craigie will have one to use as exemplar.

We have one - we get paid 20p, bike must be roadworthy, lights for dark and helmet suggested. We encourage walk, bike, train where we can. Both offices have access to a shower and we do cycle 2 work scheme. That's about it I think.

I suppose the roadworthyness of your bike is your problem

Presumably vicarious liability would kick in if a worker on his/her bike was involved in an accident that caused a loss to a 3rd party and the condition of the bike was to blame.

When I worked darn sarrf I claimed my cycle miles and even put in a 2p walking claim, from tube to main building and back. Being civil service it was processed with no questions but my boss questioned my being a typical Scot (should have done him for his xenophobia).

I looked in to it for cycling to the station (15 miles away) to then do a 3hr train journey instead of driving. Was looking in to the viability of getting rid of a car but buses didn't start early enough.
The rate wasn't specified in the expenses policy, so I enquired with the accounts team who didn't know so took it to HR.
The answer was we don't have a mileage rate for cycling, we don't allow it as we don't want to encourage something that is too dangerous!
But we do have cyclescheme to encourage people to cycle to work when it's not the company's responsibility!
And we have loads of healthy lifestyle posters and such on the walls.
Just to top it off, the HR Director is a keen road cyclist!
Sometimes there's just no hope of winning.

Not a go at you TJ,

Why would there be a policy? Has the world gone mad, do we need a policy on how to walk to work, get a bus, use a taxi etc? I am a bit aghast that common sense is no longer permitted in our world.

This is on the back of me just hearing about an politician here in Ireland who fell off a swing while holding a drink etc and was suing for damages because the swing was not supervised and she was apparantly told she had a case and a right to make a claim....ffs. Are there no such things as accidents anymore. I hate this 'where there is blame theres a claim' culture of our world, people always looking to blame someone for, quite often, there own stupidity.

Not looking for a debate, just voicing how I feel.

The authority I work for are a bit odd. No issues claiming 20p a mile for at work use and using your own bike. But if you use a council bike you need to have done bikeability level 3(I think).

I'm thinking to 'crowd fund' in the office for a couple of elephant bikes for works use so that they're not 'council vehicles'. Be a good way to support the elephant bike project and encourage less driving to local meetings.

Has the world gone mad, do we need a policy on how to walk to work, get a bus, use a taxi etc? I am a bit aghast that common sense is no longer permitted in our world.

You don't as that's your responsibility but TJ is talking about travelling to different sites whilst on duty. Maybe they provide a pool car, pay for public transport or taxis all of which would have conditions. The pool car would have to be maintained and checked before driving, the taxi and public transport should be safe under the owners conditions. TJ has chosen to use his bike and is wondering why there's not a policy, perhaps it's just a simple of case no one has previously quiried it.

TJ is secretly a bit peeved that no-one attempted to force him to wear a helmet and hi-viz. 🙂

Trumpton. Checked with NHS physio so that is no issue

Greybeard and Matt
Good ideas

Can only comment on the situation here in Spain (used to be a union rep in my last job) and our staff going between sites by bike were covered by co. insurance, there were policies and even training of some sort.

Presumably vicarious liability would kick in if a worker on his/her bike was involved in an accident that caused a loss to a 3rd party and the condition of the bike was to blame.

That's what I was getting at, if the policy says the bike must be roadworthy then it would be an interesting argument who's fault it was in the event of a crash.

No company has ever asked for a copy of my MOT test certificate, or insisted it must be done in house. So in terms of meeting the legal minimum for bikes the rider just has to do their own checks. If you then ride a bike that isn't roadworthy then you're in the wrong twice, once for doing it and once for defacto lying about its roadworthynes.

TBH if I was writing a policy for cycling at work I probably would include "must have bell, all reflectors. Must wear helmet and high vis etc". Not because those things will nessecerily make a difference but because people get lazy. We used to insist on helmet, glasses, high vis and nomex just to walk around site. You were in very little danger 95% of the time but it stops people getting complacent the 5% that it really matters. Although that assumes it's enforced, the opposite happens if it's not and people stop following safety instructions all together.

You can now state that you are a pro-cyclist on your CV. All your Palmares will be on Strava!

No company has ever asked for a copy of my MOT test certificate

We have to privide an insurance certificate.

TJ is secretly a bit peeved that no-one attempted to force him to wear a helmet and hi-viz. 🙂

Nailed it.

Look forward to reading the"wearing a helmet" section of TJ's risk assessment

Imagine the day when there was an opposite policy. Our site is about 120 acres and a 6-7min walk from one set of buildings to the other but there is no road, just paths. There are staff expected to work across both sub sites or who work predominantly in one with meetings in the other. The number of people who drive out one entrance and around the site on public roads and back into the other entrance to avoid walking is amazing. Sometimes they do this because timetables and work patterns leave no time to walk.

Imagine a policy that banned using personal or work vehicles to go between workplaces under a given distance and compelled employers expecting employees to work across multiple sites time to do so on foot or bike.

I think you have to undergo training, wear hi-viz and helmets for using the supplied bikes to get around the site at AWE.
I've used Boris bikes to get between site visits in London and even used to have a company motorbike instead of a co car bitd, never even crossed my mind to see if there is/was a policy..

Never thought to check, still cba to be honest

I just cycle, or use public transport in combination with a bike. Don't bother with claiming expenses either, just do it

It's a few miles here and then, not worth the faff

No company has ever asked for a copy of my MOT test certificate

if you are using your own car for work at my place you have to show MOT, insurance and driving license to the boss. If you are moved for a shift to another site you cannot use your car as its works time unless you have it checked including insurance for work use. You have to get a taxi

TJ is secretly a bit peeved that no-one attempted to force him to wear a helmet and hi-viz. 🙂

I must admit a little tiny bit of this - if the policy was stupid I would relish challenging it - after all its " evidence based practice" as a mantra around here 😉

If I am doing anything out of the ordinary at work i always check policies.

convert - unless those people have business use insurance then they are driving uninsured!

No company has ever asked for a copy of my MOT test certificate

I used to have to provide it but they just check it online now.

I do have to proveide insurance certs with business cover every year

No company has ever asked for a copy of my MOT test certificate

I supply my MOT and Insurance every April to my employer.

if you are using your own car for work at my place you have to show MOT, insurance and driving license to the boss. If you are moved for a shift to another site you cannot use your car as its works time unless you have it checked including insurance for work use. You have to get a taxi

Presumably that is because someone is worried that they will get pursued for causing or permitting the statutory offences of not having a license, MoT or Insurance? Does the policy regurgitate sections of the Highway Code like this:

"bike must be roadworthy, lights for dark and helmet suggested"

Presumably vicarious liability would kick in if a worker on his/her bike was involved in an accident that caused a loss to a 3rd party and the condition of the bike was to blame.

Would it? I could certainly see issues if the company had been warned my bike was a risk and I was using it on company time. I doubt if my car is dodgy and causes an accident on work time that the company is routinely held accountable either. What if I am walking down the road with untied shoe laces trip and pour my coffee over a passing child's face - do you think my employer is likely to be held vicariously liable for either allowing me to wear lace up shoes or not follow the hot coffee on pavement policy?

As for claiming the 20p - its usually just a different category on the mileage form, and I've never heard of anyone being criticised for using it. In fact I've been actively encouraged to claim because they want to show they are an eco-organisation and report the miles by bike figure somewhere (I didn't because I couldn't be bothered filling in the form for £3.60)

Poly - there is NO policy - that was my surprise. Given we have policies for everything under the sun to not have one for cycling while AT work seemed slightly remiss. The only thing I could find was a vague "duty of care to behave responsibly" I expected more - and probably something daft.

I'm up to £6 in expenses now!

Hmm. £8 today.

This thread shows your personality type. Checking if there is a policy, reading about other employers policy. Seemingly slightly sad there is no policy. I

I like exactly that kind of personality in medical staff, scientists, engineers or lawyers. I believe TJ is one of the former.

Besides, it's what makes him entertaining.

I actually knew the councils policy because my other half worked for them and cycled between sites

Ignorance is no excuse - and anyway its huge fun telling bosses that what they want to do is against policy so they cannot. Got one going at the moment. A boss does not like policy set by the scottish government and is refusing to let the staff follow it. It will end in tears. Especially as I am auditing that ward tomorrow 🙂

My employer stipulates my car must be in decent and presentable condition and roadworthy. well, I have two cars. One is used by my wife and kids and is a ****ing rubbish dump; the other is the Passat - yes, that one 😆

I doubt if my car is dodgy and causes an accident on work time that the company is routinely held accountable either

Well, you'd be wrong.

As part of the car allowance package, there are usually some stipulations around engine size, number of seats etc, plus the requirement to provide a copy of your driving licence, MoT certificate and insurance cert (specifically including business travel) to HR.

On top of that, whether you take the car or the car-allowance, you usually have to do all sorts of arse-covering trainings so that the company can show that you have been told not to use your phone while driving, don't break the speed limit, don't drive while tired, don't smoke in the car (technically part of the workplace). None of this is actually helpful - the company is just doing it to show due diligence in the event that you do have a massive stack, and the lawyers (either yours or a third parties) come calling.

As for bike travel, the risk to the company is actually of YOU suing them if you get knocked-off while travelling on work time - you would obviously be able to claim this as a workplace injury, and without a policy stipulating that you have to wear high-viz, maintain your bike etc etc, they would be open to a suit.

The reason they don't have a policy is because nobody has asked them before, and they don't realize they need one. I think that by asking, and being told "no" - you have probably covered yourself (as long as you follow the highway code etc), but I would make sure I had it in writing.

There is a wee section about cycling while at work on the transport pages of the website - - its just says you can claim expenses and you have to ride responsibly with links to cycle to work scheme and spokes maps. So it has been thought about sort of. But that is not a policy as such and is very vague.

I’m thinking to ‘crowd fund’ in the office for a couple of elephant bikes for works use so that they’re not ‘council vehicles’. Be a good way to support the elephant bike project and encourage less driving to local meetings.

I think that your employer would get very twitchy about who's liability it was if one of their employees, at work was injured riding a bike for which they had no control over the roadworthyness. And you know you'll end up doing all the maintenance on 2 bikes no on else gives two shits about, (assuming they are even ridden).

This is the reason bikes got banned in our work, with the exception of riding in and out at the ends of each day. Weirdly though no one has ever objected to me using my bike for business travel outside site. I'd probably best not mention the inconsistency, just in case someone does! 😊

Update - I just re-read the company travel policy. I'm definitely not mentioning my bike use, as it's expressly not permitted. What a ridiculous policy, would mean four additional taxi charges to/from train stations on days I visit the head office. All in those connections take less than 30 mins on my bike.

My company simply have a policy that a helmet must be worn if cycling on company business, of course that doesn't apply for the commute to/from work as that's a personal transport choice not company business. Apparently I can claim the 20p a mile too, but I've never tried...

I do have a friend who was apparently told and shown a company policy doc for his employer stating that travelling by bicycle on company business was not allowed. When he asked why he was told it was due to the business's insurance, they still have facilities for commuting by bike, operate c2w etc but he's not allowed to cycle as part of his work. He could visit his suppliers by foot, in a car or public transport but not by deadly deadly bicycle... Bonkers.

We have to have business insurance, and for those where it's part of the job we do efficient driving training which covers safety as well for those who don't often drive hired people carriers or vans.

We get 40p per mile for work related cycle trips of which I have done a few but never claimed.

Checked today. There is no policy about cycling. 30pages about cars, including fleet and "grey fleet" vehicles, public transport and passengers but not a word on cycling.
There is a claim figure per mile. So I'm going for that next time I have to do a "trip".

Need to come to D&G
http://www.nhsdg.scot.nhs.uk/News/Cycling_Scotland_Funds_Fleet_of_Powerbikes_for_NHS_Staff

https://activetraveldumfries.wordpress.com/

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/factsheet/2018/06/dumfries-and-galloway-council-planning-authority-core-documents/documents/cd12---dg-active-travel-strategy-and-action-plan-2015/cd12---dg-active-travel-strategy-and-action-plan-2015/govscot%3Adocument

I did a good three hours cycling whilst at “work” yesterday! Thirsty work.
😏