- This topic has 10 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 21 years, 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Once a year I request that all my engineers produce their driving licences, I check them and take a copy. I have always asumed that this was sufficent for my insurance company.
This morning a strange thing happened, one of my engineers needed to collect a hire van because his was in for repair. When he presented his driving licence, the hire company contacted DVLA to verify his licence, they were informed that his licence had been suspended and he was no longer legally entitled to drive!
Apparently, the engineer had been stopped by the police in May 2003 for a traffic offence, he was asked to present his driving licence and insurance docs at the local police station. He failed to keep this appointment and thought it had all been forgotten about! DVLA had sent two recorded delivery letters to his home and he had ignored them, at that stage, they automatically suspend the licence!
The driver now has to reapply for a new licence which will take 10-14 days and he is effectively disqualified for this period. I would also imagine that the police will catch up with him and he will probably end up in court with a substantial fine and points. At this point I have cancelled all his work and sent him home (unpaid) until he returns with his new licence!
After speaking to DVLA, I discovered that they have a system where employers can check their employees driving licences (with their written permission of course) for a fee of five pounds each. This results in a written statement from DVLA stating the driver is entitled or otherwise to drive. They also confirm the current penalty points and any pending points or disqualifications still in the system.
The morale of this story is don’t accept that a driving licence is proof in its self that the driver is legal, there could be hidden details!
If my driver had been involved in a serious road traffic accident, my insurance company would have walked away leaving us wide open to legal action and compensation claims that would have shut us down!
Make the call to DVLA now and check your drivers, you just never know!
Re: Did You Know This?
With the dramatic increase in speed camera’s I wonder how many of us lot are in the same boat and dont realise it. If an engineer knows he has lost his licence I wonder how many are prepaired to blag it, in the hope that no one finds out because it means they are effectively unemployed without a valid licence.
Del
Re: Did You Know This?
appboy wrote: DVLA had sent two recorded delivery letters to his home and he had ignored them,
That’s the bit that puzzles me? and I am sure you must have asked him …”WHY?”
Martin
Re: Did You Know This?
nope I didn’t and a good post it is too. I am guilty of not being so upto date with this, so thanks appboy.
kevin
Re: Did You Know This?
That reminds me of a few years ago when i had more employees than now. 3 out of 5 had incorrect addresses on their licences and were reluctant to update them. They all gave the same excuse as not wanting the (then) new photo ID type. One of them was, like, 3 addresses old. i got the feeling they just didnt want their current address on their licences for whatever reason. I thought maybe they had reported this licence stolen or lost and had another one on which all endorsments and stuff were on, and kept this one to show the likes of me that they had a clean licence. Like with finding out if they had a criminal record or not, i was powerless to do anything about this.
Re: Did You Know This?
A bit more info regarding my driver:
Apparently he was caught by a mobile speed camera van near his home, he received the fine through the post and decided to contest the fine and opted for a court trial (in his own time).
Needles to say, he lost the case and was fined £60 plus court costs and three penalty points. He paid the fine and costs, but never sent his licence to the DVLA to have the points added, hence the two letters which I also believe were sent to his previous address. This is why his licence was suspended. ( DVLA also stated that the driver could face a fine of up to £1000 for not informing them of his change of address)!
Today, I have had to employ a driver to drive him round his service calls as we can’t afford to loose 50 service calls over the next week!
I am alittle annoyed to say the least! 👿
Re: Did You Know This?
appboy wrote:I am alittle annoyed to say the least! 👿
To put it mildly I’m sure 😯
…and a sad and costly lesson to learn for all employers. Perhaps also highlighting a need to put a few additional clauses in an employees work contract 😉
Martin
Re: Did You Know This?
appboy wrote:A bit more info regarding my driver:
Today, I have had to employ a driver to drive him round his service calls as we can’t afford to loose 50 service calls over the next week!
I am alittle annoyed to say the least! 👿
I’m surprised you employed the driver. I would simply tell the guy, part of his duties are to endeavour to complete his day to day work. If he has allowed this situation to happen then the onus is on him to make arrangements and at least cover part of your costs.
I know it sounds mean but I would give the guy the option of providing his own driver, taking unpaid leave or accepting part of your costs in perhaps unpaid overtime.
I did have an engineer go over the top on points for various offences, the last one being Gatsoed. I submitted the defence that it was a pool vehicle & we were unsure of the driver. There was a heavy fine but no points off his licence. He is a good engineer and paid back the fine with pleasure. The alternative was no pay due to no licence.
Alex
Re: Did You Know This?
Thanks for the response Alex, I have already agreed to put this engineer on unpaid leave until he produces his new licence.
It is also interesting to know that you can’t sack the engineer for having his licence suspended, even if he had received a six month ban I would be expected to redeploy him in a non driving position! If you don’t offer him alternative employment and he takes you to I.T it could be deemed that you didn’t try hard enough to redeploy him and you could loose a lot of money!
I feel really proud to be an employer 😕
Re: Did You Know This?
Depends on his contract I beleive.
Of course had you been aware of his driving record you could have disciplined him on each occasion. With written disciplinary notes, you have a strong case. Trouble is he will go and get another job, then you have other problems to face.
Engineers don’t grow on trees, even if it seems they live in them at times. Therefore if it is a valued employee, then you move him into the office/stores. I’ve done that a couple of times where engineers have damaged themselves playing football or falling off a bike and are plastered up for a few weeks. Works well as they get an insight to the other side of the operation, gives them a better understanding and improves relationships between office & engineers.
As you say, they joys of employing staff.
Alex
Alex
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.