Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Tania Ford — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 12:16:39 GMT

I have to say that im really surprised at how much this request has got up some peoples noses! Surely there is more to worry about these days as life in veterinary practice can be stressful enough most days! If you are 'legal' then you really should be willing to show that you are - regardless of the reasons. The amount of illegal drivers on the roads is generally increasing (probably because you now no longer have to show up to date tax on your vehicle) and this is what should be getting people riled up. I know H&SE rules and regulations are petty and most of them are a waste of time, but really!

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

r-more — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 13:07:21 GMT

[quote user="Julie-Anne Wilson"]Using your car for work related purposes (even travelling between branches) means you MUST have business insurance. It's got nothing to do with the MOT. If you have an accident travelling between branches and the police discover that's what you were doing, it's not your MOT they'll check it's your insurance[/quote]

If there were an accident, the police could actually be interested in the MOT and insurance could be invalid if the MOT is not up to date. If it is considered using the vehicle for work related purposes the the employer has a duty of care to make sure the vehicle is fit for purpose, just as they have a duty to ensure any equipment you use in your job is fit for purpose - it might be the employees car, but that doesn't absolve the employer of any responsibility to ensure the employee is using it safely in the performance of their work, just as the employer would be responsible for H&S if you took your own scissors to work and stabbed yourself with them carrying out a duty. As I alluded to above, how would it look if Jane and John go off on a course in John's car, there's an accident as a result of the car being unroadworthy? Is this day and age, compensation is going to rear its head and no win no fee solicitor would be happy to point at least some blame I the employers direction.

[quote]Using your car for work related purposes (even travelling between branches) means you MUST have business insurance.[/quote]

As for insurance and traveling between places of work, most insurance companies consider this to be commuting And can cover it as part of a personal policy. You may have to inform you insurance company you are using your vehicle for this purpose, some (mine) don't charge any extra, I just have to let them know. If you started using you car as an ambulance or offering a road side clinics from the boot, this would be a different matter and I'm thinking it would incure an additional insurance premium.

Unless you're contractuly obliged to have/provide a vehicle for the performance of your duties, they can't force you to give any details of your MOT. Of course they may insist you use a work provided vehicle for work related travel, which is sometimes a double edged sword.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Julie-Anne Wilson — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 10:00:27 GMT

[quote user="r-more"]

If you use (or potentially use) your own vehicle for work purposes or something related to work, which could include travel to courses you're doing as part of you work, commuting between branches etc., your employer may be doing it to cover their backs. I'm not slating them for this, nor am I fond of the PC H&S brigade, but can you imagine the field day a "no win no fee" solicitor would have if an employee had an accident in car that wasn't road worthy whilst on work related travel? Not to mention that the HSE could might get wind of it, and even if there wasn't a case to answer the HSE could still be "sniffing around" for a while after. It might be worth pointing out the ability to check the status of a vehicle on line, or send them a screen print of that if you don't want them to have your MOT certificate.

The reason for it being a blanket email is probably because it's simpler to get this information up front and have it on file for future use, rather than request it from every employee by exception/when needed, especially if use of your Owen vehicle is ad-hoc.

[/quote]

Using your car for work related purposes (even travelling between branches) means you MUST have business insurance. It's got nothing to do with the MOT. If you have an accident travelling between branches and the police discover that's what you were doing, it's not your MOT they'll check it's your insurance policy and if you only have cover for personal and commuting, you're up s**t creek!

I find it weird they're asking for MOT, as has been said above by others, it's none of their business. At my last place of work, I had use of the company vans and they needed my licence for that for obvious reasons but I wouldn't show my MOT unless they could give me a reason why. But, as also stated above, MOT is all electronic now so it can be checked online.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 21:03:01 GMT

If they asked you to use your car for work for any reason the answer is a solid no unless your car is insured for business use please bear that in mind. Even if you were asked to take a bottle of say...synulox to another branch on your way to work there.

If you had an accident and say police saw it asked why it was there...that becomes work use driving and unless covered you are lacking insurance.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

r-more — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:33:07 GMT

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:49:55 GMT

[quote user="Dove"]It's a blanket email,[/quote]

Thought as much.

[quote user="Dove"]we've been told not to bother because they can check up online[/quote]

But the point is that it is none of their business what state your personal car is in, if you don't use it for work (and I guess that's why it got up your nostrils).

Never knew that anyone can check the tax / MOT status of any car, though. Just tried it on mine, and whaddyaknow?

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Dove — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:32:19 GMT

It's a blanket email, sent to our receptionists too, we are now part of a corporate so maybe it is standard to as? Anyway after my asking this morning on what grounds we've been told not to bother because they can check up online but still wanted driving licence copies. Apparently it is to check if your vehicle is up to a safe standard. My husband is a mechanic and he always says an MOT only proves your vehicle was up to standard at the time of the test, you could drive it out of the test centre and something go wrong/break on it as you drive away making it unsafe.

I really do not know why it has irritated me and I am being unreasonable but at least now I don't need to comply.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:42:27 GMT

[quote user="Dove"]In order to comply with the heath and safety[/quote]

Well that would get right up my nose!

Elfin-bleedin-safety.

I don't know anything about Health and Safety legislation, but I cannot think of any reason why an employer could possibly have grounds for asking for an MOT for a private vehicle used only for private purposes. Whatever next? Will they want to check your TV licence is up to date?

Sure, if the car is used for anything to do with work, that's a different matter (but as Sal says, even more important in that case to check the insurance).

But maybe others in the practice use their car for work purposes, and this was a blanket email sent to everyone???

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Dove — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 22:50:08 GMT

Just checked the wording in my email and it says this, ' In order to comply with the heath and safety I need a copy of everyone's driving licence and MOT certificate. If you could get this to me ASAP that would be much appreciated.'

I'll enquire tomorrow what the actual grounds are.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

enigmaticat-uk — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:00:56 GMT

My previous employer asked for driving licence for insurance for driving the practice vehicle (not that I ever did!).But I can't see any reason why they should require MOT for your personal car unless you use it for work purposes.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Lisa Whitehouse — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:07:08 GMT

We have to supply driving licence yearly and inform practice if any points for insurance purposes on practice vehicles, mot never got asked for weird but no harm providing it.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Sal the 1st — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 09:28:40 GMT

I have known this before in taxi drivers ( but not vet practice) . The reason the other employer asked for a current MOT is to prove that you have a car - ie that you are currently driving. Lots of people have driving licenses but not everybody drives a car on a daily basis. If you have a current license and a current MOT it suggests that 1) you use a car regularly 2) the vehicle you drive is legal and looked after (I had until fairly recently a racing license for a bike - hadn't ever been used since the mid 90's and I haven't been legal on the road for quite a time but I still had the racing bit ). Of course it might be for another reason like Mark suggests that you may end up using your car for company business - in which case you might want to check with your insurance what you are covered for.

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Tania Ford — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 09:15:31 GMT

I would imagine it is just a test of honesty as there are lots of people driving around in cars with no MOT or insurance and if you cannot provide details of this, then you may be a little bit 'dodgey' for want of a better word! I wouldnt go getting yourself so wound up about it! Lifes too short and work in practice can be demanding and stressful at the best of times, so I wouldnt take it personally if they are asking everyone to provide this evidence

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 09:13:47 GMT

My workplace asked for my license, because I occasionally use one of the company pool cars, and they have to prove to their insurance company that the people who drive their cars are safe and legal to do so. Same for when I worked in practice, to drive the practice ambulance they needed a copy of my license so that if there was ever any traffic incident, the insurance company wouldn't give them a hard time.

I don't recall ever being asked for an MOT, but I suppose it couldn't hurt, if you're using your own personal car for company business.

I'd bet you it's the insurance company being a bit OTT. :)

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Dove — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 08:15:01 GMT

I can only think they want it in case they pay out for mileage expenses. Part of me wants to be awkward because I tend to get the train to cpd (its rare I travel for cpd anyway). Also an mot only proves your car was safe and road worthy on the day of test and is no guarantee it will stay that way for the full 12 months. I do have an mot but for some reason this request has annoyed me!

RE: Providing employer with your MOT cert and driving licence?

Rachael_24 — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 07:32:31 GMT

I've never known an employer ask for these before..... Can't think why they would need them....