We are not given a money option and have to drive a company car, which gets a few colleagues up in arms, but the way I look at it is this, I get a decent motor, changed every 3 years or so (18 months in my case as I will reach the 85k), serviced, tyres, insured, taxed and I can take it abroad on holiday for around £43 per month additional tax. If it breaks down I get a hire car delivered to where its broken down within 2 hours, they take the car away and return it fixed.

Taking a cash option means you have to buy a decent car, suffer the depreciation, insure it, tax it, service it, pay for tyres and if it breaks down, provide a replacement.

No brainer for me.

I agree, I didn't make it clear though, my job function has changed and I'm mainly office based now, I took the money, threw away the crippling tax code to replace it with a standard one and bought a cheap second hand Peugeot for commuting the 7 miles each way to the office.

Couldn't agree more. My employer is taking the piddle when it comes to cars. I work from home and I'm on the road 3-4 days a week, with a patch ranging from Milton Keynes to Aberdeen. For 5 years I got 40p a mile, that's it. Nothing else. I had to suffer many tyres, an exhaust, a blown clutch, etc, for 40p a mile. Then in August they raised it to 45p a mile, backdated to April. How generous.

What irks me is that they said if we gathered evidence our competitors were offering more they'd match it. I spoke with our competitors and put together a comprehensive list showing they provide company cars, or an allowance + fuel card, etc. Some of my colleagues did the same. It was ignored for a year until they put the mileage up, and that's all we're getting.

Unsurprisingly, after almost 6 years I'm looking elsewhere.


Screw it, go for it. Don't die wondering. I made the decision years ago never to work weekends again and I love it. You're getting an almost 50% pay rise and a company car. Blow 'em away in the final interview and make 'em want you.

I suspect you're nervous at taking the plunge, but everyone has doubts when changing jobs - don't let that put you off, take the next step up the ladder.

I was charging out 45p per mile ten years ago, I never used my own car then, I had a very lucrative hire deal and still came out in front.

It really shouldn't be up to you to rank yourself among your competitors, it's a simple question of a realistic and fair mileage allowance, based on a full-repair, operating lease + tyres, fuel, insurance, VED etc. There are websites out there to help calculate a fair mileage allowance.

Mind you, I know of private healthcare workers who would kill for 45ppm

The Inland Revenue aren't known for their generosity when allowing individuals to claim for things but even they standardise on 45p a mile for the first 10k in any tax year, then 25p a mile...http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/travel.htm 20k of chargeable mileage a year should nett you £7k a year which is about the same as they rate your average fuelled-up rep-mobile for personal tax coding purposes (or at least it was in 2010), all you have to do is buy/lease, maintain and fuel it for £7k, and then keep meticulous records to record your business mileage.

The Inland Revenue aren't known for their generosity when allowing individuals to claim for things but even they standardise on 45p a mile for the first 10k in any tax year, then 25p a mile...http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/travel.htm 20k of chargeable mileage a year should nett you £7k a year which is about the same as they rate your average fuelled-up rep-mobile for personal tax coding purposes (or at least it was in 2010), all you have to do is buy/lease, maintain and fuel it for £7k, and then keep meticulous records to record your business mileage.

15k for a 43 hour week? Working weekends and bank holidays for normal rate, and not time and half/ double time/ day in lieu?

You get a chance of a £7k pay-rise, and you got to ask if you should take it? Put it this way, you are a number and nothing more. You are easily replaceable. You're present job could go t1ts up this week ( as could any job). Absolute no-brainer, look after and care about number 1, because noone (workwise) cares about you. Think of the positives, no weekends/ bank holidays, more money, better holidays, better standards of living. Go for it, and sod the rest.

ps/ can't believe that some people are prepared to work bank holidays and weekends for normal time

You've probably never worked shifts then, or shopped anywhere on a weekend ?

I know the car situation is a crap state of affairs, but this job was a step-up for me, a £10k pay rise and working from home means no commuting costs and a far better quality of life. We've made our case several times, provided evidence and been ignored, and after almost 6 years I've probably done my time and ready to look elsewhere. I will be citing the car situation as a key reason for me leaving.

One of my colleagues in London has sold his car and when public transport isn't realistic he hires cars at an astronomical cost. He's had his wrists slapped but well done to him. I sold my car last year so we're down to one (we don't need two anyway), and I can't therefore be as flexible as they like, but tough titties. We warned them many times this would happen.

If he's in London and not on a car share scheme, he's daft

He lives in Kent somewhere and like me he's not office-based but has a territory - his covers most of East and North London, plus Essex and Kent. Most of his working week is spent whizzing around London by tube or train, but duty often calls him further afield when he would normally require a car.