??????

daviesee

E-Mail received at work 5 minutes ago.

"Good afternoon

Can everyone please note that when travelling on ********** business during company time. Motor Bikes and Bicycles are not recognised modes of transport and should only be used during your own time.

Very best regards

******* ******
HSSE Advisor"

????? Recognised by who?
I can understand (reluctantly) that they don't want people cycling between offices due to perceived time wasted but how is a motor bike different to a car?

Koncordski

Oh that's an easy one. It's only got 2 wheels.

jds_1981

I think the clue here is the person sending the email who appears to be health & safety. Maybe concerned about liability?

daviesee

jds_1981 wrote:

I think the clue here is the person sending the email who appears to be health & safety. Maybe concerned about liability?

Probably.
That is just pushing the myth that everyone is safe in their personal moving box though.

jds_1981

I know that when doing Jury service you can get bike mileage reimbursed (probably for private companies too). Perhaps point out that if it's good enough for the law system it should be good enough for your company?

walkingbootweather

I understand air bags are approved by H&S professionals (and I use that term advisedly). Perhaps you should consider travelling by space hopper?

rick_chasey

Ignore it.

As long as cycling is reasonable time efficient.

jds_1981

Ah http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/travel.htm

Kerguelen

daviesee wrote:

E-Mail received at work 5 minutes ago.

"Good afternoon

Can everyone please note that when travelling on ********** business during company time. Motor Bikes and Bicycles are not recognised modes of transport and should only be used during your own time.

Very best regards

******* ******
HSSE Advisor"

????? Recognised by who?
I can understand (reluctantly) that they don't want people cycling between offices due to perceived time wasted but how is a motor bike different to a car?

Not recognised by whom?

Just send them a reply saying something like

'I can recognise them easily -



Motorbike



Bicycle

Easy!'

Or would that be a bit cheeky?

daviesee

It is not something that will directly impact on me as I am highly unlikely to be travelling during business hours, on business, but I doubt that I could ignore it if I had to. It's hard to walk through the office lycra clad and not be noticed.
Being a self employed freelancer, I am well aware of the HMRC mileage rates. :P

Other statistics.
Annual car deaths per 100 million km driven - 76.
Annual cycle deaths per 100 million km cycled - 3.6.

Different years and different studies (I don't have that much time) but it indicates that driving a car need not be safer than cycling.

Wunnunda

I suspect this is triggered by the fact the company in question carries 'Occasional Business Use' insurance cover for employees using their own vehicles for company business (where they are re-imbursed for mileage). This insurance is highly unlikely to cover motor-bikes and even less likely to cover bicycles.

clarkey cat

ignore.

daviesee

Wunnunda wrote:

I suspect this is triggered by the fact the company in question carries 'Occasional Business Use' insurance cover for employees using their own vehicles for company business (where they are re-imbursed for mileage). This insurance is highly unlikely to cover motor-bikes and even less likely to cover bicycles.

I suspect that you are correct.

walkingbootweather

Wunnunda wrote:

I suspect this is triggered by the fact the company in question carries 'Occasional Business Use' insurance cover for employees using their own vehicles for company business (where they are re-imbursed for mileage). This insurance is highly unlikely to cover motor-bikes and even less likely to cover bicycles.

Quite likely.

Strangely enough I am able to use my car for company business but was required to produce proof that I am covered for business use on my personal policy. I am also able to claim business mileage on the bike but have never been asked to demonstrate that I have insurance for this.

Wunnunda

walkingbootweather wrote:

Wunnunda wrote:

I suspect this is triggered by the fact the company in question carries 'Occasional Business Use' insurance cover for employees using their own vehicles for company business (where they are re-imbursed for mileage). This insurance is highly unlikely to cover motor-bikes and even less likely to cover bicycles.

Quite likely.

Strangely enough I am able to use my car for company business but was required to produce proof that I am covered for business use on my personal policy. I am also able to claim business mileage on the bike but have never been asked to demonstrate that I have insurance for this.

We do that in our firm as well - when I asked about the bike issue our insurance dudes told me they were more worried about 3rd party liabilities : and we know which is more likely to win a car v world / bike v world argument don't we?

Kieran_Burns

but if you had a camera attached to your helmet you could prove it wasn't you at fault....

bails87

Kieran_Burns wrote:

but if you had a camera attached to your helmet you could prove it wasn't you at fault....

Trolololol

slowbike

Kieran_Burns wrote:

but if you had a camera attached to your helmet you could prove it wasn't you at fault....

But only if you mute the sound ...

rolf_f

daviesee wrote:

Can everyone please note that when travelling on ********** business during company time. Motor Bikes and Bicycles are not recognised modes of transport and should only be used during your own time.

Simple. Next time you need to go to another office or whatever, just walk. It's obviously a recognised mode of transport

We get a mileage rate if we use our own bikes in work time. I don't but I do use one of the pool bikes which we have. For example, I need to allow no more time to travel five miles from our office in Orton Goldhay in Peterborough to the train station as I would if I wasted £10 of tax payers money on a taxi.

First.Aspect

This is absurd. I'd poke him repeatedly with a stick.

Dig out the cycle policy, ask why he sent the email. Ask whether a driving licence is a condition of employment. Ask him about travelling between meetings by mobility scooter, or by horse, or tricycle, or segway, or bus, or walking, or taxi.

If nothing else it will cause him annoyance, which is a small manner of retribution for being a H&S professional with no understanding of quanta of risk which aren't 0 or 1.

daviesee

First Aspect wrote:

This is absurd. I'd poke him repeatedly with a stick.

Dig out the cycle policy, ask why he sent the email. Ask whether a driving licence is a condition of employment. Ask him about travelling between meetings by mobility scooter, or by horse, or tricycle, or segway, or bus, or walking, or taxi.

If nothing else it will cause him annoyance, which is a small manner of retribution for being a H&S professional with no understanding of quanta of risk which aren't 0 or 1.

I absolutely agree with all of the above but as I am freelance, rocking the boat is not in my best interests. Taking the cash is...

First.Aspect

daviesee wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

This is absurd. I'd poke him repeatedly with a stick.

Dig out the cycle policy, ask why he sent the email. Ask whether a driving licence is a condition of employment. Ask him about travelling between meetings by mobility scooter, or by horse, or tricycle, or segway, or bus, or walking, or taxi.

If nothing else it will cause him annoyance, which is a small manner of retribution for being a H&S professional with no understanding of quanta of risk which aren't 0 or 1.

I absolutely agree with all of the above but as I am freelance, rocking the boat is not in my best interests. Taking the cash is...

Damn and blast.
I still think turning up to a meeting in jodhpurs is an option.

team47b

BMW, it's got 4 wheels, motorbike engine, it's a bike, no it's a car, no it's classed as a tricycle in the UK, that'll be that well known 4 wheel tricycle then, they don't seem to "recognise" any form of transport there

daviesee

First Aspect wrote:

Damn and blast.
I still think turning up to a meeting in jodhpurs is an option.

That can be done regardless of transport.

airbag

Not much you can do really, it's on company time so they can demand what they want really(within reason), and you're up against the brick wall that is H&S/'insurance says no'. You could:

Send the email Kerguelen suggested, not achieving anything but having a laugh;
Politely enquire as to their 'green' or health policy if they have one, try and reason with them, you might achieve some concession;
Get fat, or run someone over on company time, and sue them;
The nuclear option: cycle in naked