filtersweep

If having access to a reliable vehicle is part of the bonifide occupational requirements- and is in writing, as such, you could be terminated for lacking it. We have given people ultimatums where I work when they've had a car conk out, and they waited months to replace it. We also require clean driving records and insurability with the company's insurance.

qmsdc15

Bicycle is reliable transport and you are not a friend of cyclists io give ultimatums to workers without cars. If someone prefers to use taxi or bus, feet or HPV, that should be encouraged. Your apparent pride and support of a discriminatory policy is pathetic and sad.

CPcyclist

What is their job discription? I am also going to guess that they were not people who were showing up for work on time or leaving early.
Where do companies get the idea that they can requier a car for emploment and not compensate the employee for it. Some jobs pay so poor that car ownership (loan, Insurance, gas, ect.) is a burdan on the employee.

As for the OP note to the hire up that you would have thought that your physical appearance was more important for your job then having a car at work. Do they pay for your uniform? How big are the seats on the planes? would not an extra 25-50-100lbs of weight on you reduce what can go on the plane?

hiracer

Check your car insurance. You may not be covered if you are driving for employment purposes. If you are covered, shop for a company that will not cover you driving while working. Change coverage to them. Next time boss asks, tell him that you can't use your vehicle because your insurance will not cover it. Have copy of policy handy. Offer to run the chore if employer pays the extra premium to obtain coverage for driving while working.

That's a curve ball I'm pretty sure he is not ready to handle.

If worst comes to worst, drive your car and do an errand. Unbeknownst to him, submit a mileage reimbursement request to HR. THEY will tell him to stop it.

jswilson64

Along with the tons of good advice you've already received, you should also check out your company's policy on this one. I've never worked anywhere that didn't reimburse employees for using their cars for company business. As far as the issue you raised, DO tread lightly, DON'T be confrontational with your super, but DO get clarification from higher-up on the issue, and not just as it pertains to bicycles. What if you drove every day, but your car was in the shop for the day? Are you supposed to rent a car in that case?

Good luck - I hope you can resolve it without being branded a boat-rocker.

scarry

Just tell him your car is in the shop, waiting for parts. Sorry.

catatonic

Yes!

Pizza My Heart, in San Jose, has one bike pizza delivery guy...he rides a yellow schwinn cruiser, comepletely tricked out. Guy's pretty cool to boot. On the 4th of July, he's often delivering the pizzas to the booth at the park, 30-40 x-large pizzas at a time

k71021

Tell him that if your car is required for work you expect some remuneration for the expenses. So if the company is willing to pay your fuel, insurance and amortization expenses, which they likely won't, you’ll have you car at work everyday. Otherwise just take a cab the next time he asks and leave the bills with the payroll people.

hi565

update? hows it coming?

amahana1

I was supposed to meet with the HR super and get his opinion on wether or not my super was reasonable in his demand that I drive to work, but he cant see me until monday morning.

An interesting side note however...I have continued to cycle to work and have kept it really low key and so far nothing from the super. Could be that he doesnt know. I will post on monday what was said with the HR manager.

spingineer

What if you carpooled to work? Would your boss ban you from carpooling?

filtersweep

What crack are you smoking? Employees need to transport clients in their vehicles. It is a required function of their job- since not everything can be done on site. We don't care how they GET to work. I leave my car at work and commute by bike.

You make ridiculous assumptions, and apparently have no idea how certain industries operate. Your feeble attempt at shaming me is laughable.

filtersweep

It is in their job descriptions that they must be able to transport clients in a vehicle they can access. Other positions also involve meeting with clients in the field. It has nothing to do with the quality of employee. Not every job involves commuting to point A- spending all day there, then returning home. There are days when I work out of three different offices, or have to travel to different work sites, or give tours to potential clients (drive them around, etc...). I attend countless meetings outside the office. I am well-compensated.

biodiesel

It all depends on the job.
IF your employer requires off site work it can require you to get to the site in reasonable time, or to transport paperwork etc.
IF they want you to transport clients etc that MUST be stated in your job requirement as your insurance often get adjusted accordingly. Many car insurance policies don't cover stuff on the job. (Again it depends on the job.)
IF your employer IS requiring car stuff they should pay mileage. If they are requireing you to have a car available at work you should be able to park it there.
IF NOT, if youre not driving people or stuff anywhere then when they ask if you have reliable transportation "yes." They DO NOT have a right to know what you drove today. (They may want to know about your car for parking but you can ride a goat on your off time and it's none of their buisness.)
And the 'at will' thing. Yeah, it sucks. As an employer you still get crappy lawsuits for firing someone unless you (and sometimes even if) document out your hoohaa and as an employee someone can fire you because it's tuesday.
ALTHOUGH... even 'at will' states still have labor laws. And though it may be 'at will' you still CAN NOT fire people for no reason (unless you want a lawsuit) or for religion, political affiliation, ethnicity and a bunch of other things. Cycling to work falls on that hazy line. If you're a competitive quilter or bike commuter it's non of thier buisness, if it's the cover of playboy... bye bye. Hazy.

So, find out what the objection is, explain your reasons, try alternatives that satisfy everyone... and if that dosn't fit your lifestyle then maybe decide on another job. Then you can make a happy break and they'll respect your reasons just as if you had said 'want to travel less to be with family.' I had a job that wanted me to drive between hospitals across town suddenly. I asked them how important it was to them and if they'd pay mileage, rode home a few times to pick up the car and found out in Colorado (at will) unless driving is part of your job description the company has to provide (they offered to reimburse cab fare.)

Anyway, good luck.

folder fanatic

Perhaps this bike ban is just a cover for getting rid of that @#^%*$#! unsightly bicycle from the office enviroment if you keep it indoors or from "littering" the front or side of the office building if you lock it outside. Bike ownership harassment is one of the last predjudices that people are free to indulge in. The bike is still a "child's toy" or "recreational exercise machine" to mainstream America

dc70

EVERYTHING is worth fighting for. Even if you lose. Lay down now,
and you will most likely repeat the spineless, appeasing process throughout life.

In this world, there are very few, if any that look out for you.
Only you can do that. Unfortunately it just is that way these days.

Fight the good fight, no matter what the odds. Fight because its the right
thing to do, fight because tomorrow it will be someone else or something else
trying to take another piece of your freedom away. Fight becasue tomorrow
you will have self-respect, fight because someday it will make a difference.

amahana1

Ok, I think it might have come to a end, finally! I met with the HR manager and he explained it thus: It is well within my rights to commute to work via bicycle...however it is well within the GM's realm of powers to ask me to do errands that require the use of a car, ON OCCASION and not to be asked on a regular basis (sure I'll run and get that catering as soon as I get off the phone with maintenence about a prob with one of the planes, it could be a while...wink wink), however, it does not mean that it HAS to be my POV. He went on to explain that it is not written in my job description that I MUST use a personally operated vehicle because generally my specific job doesnt require one.

"The GM cannot bar you from riding a bicycle to work" exact quote.

So basically when I am asked to do something like pick up catering, I must find the means to accomplish such a request.

Score one for the cyclists!

jhota

that doesn't really sound like scoring one... basically, you can ride your bike to work (no way to legally prohibit that, i think) - but still have to go pick up catering? when you get paid to fly airplanes?

hope it works out, though.

what i would have done:

shopped around for the ugliest, nastiest, oil-leaking, smoking beater i could find. prefereably one that had been recovered after a fire. then, i'd drive it to work and park it either right next to the boss's parking space, right outside his office window, or right where every prospective client will have to walk past it. keep like a case or so of recycled oil and a booster pack in the boot, so you can actually move it to run errands. let the tyres go flat. then i'd continue commuting normally.

when they ask you to move your p.o.s. off the property, explain you only purchased it to comply with their need to have a freaking pilot to go pick up lunch or make copies at Kinko's or whatever.

Puppypaws

Glad you got some closure and validation. Love your perserverence.

(it is kinda nuts to ask a pilot to pick up catering....like asking a surgeon to pick up coffee and donuts while there's a patient waiting in the OR.)

amahana1

The issue was wether or not the GM could bar me from cycling to work, not wether he can make me do errands. I like the beater Idea tho...but the GM owns a ranch and he drives just about what you described but its a truck.....and thank you puppypaws. I was glad that I went as far as I did....I was tempted to just let it go and not fight it.

jhota

trust me, there's a big difference in an old truck and a, say, 1974 Volvo 245, or a 1983 Peugeot 505... the truck has character. it is the vehicle of a manly working man. it is evidence of how tough, and therefore cool the owner/driver is.

some random Swedish or French rustbucket is just a teatnus-inducing eyesore...

amahana1

too funny

Bontrager

Glad you got it worked out.

Just because one lives in a "right to work" state doesn't mean you have to let your boss push you around or work in a bad environment.

landstander

Sounds like you want a Yugo!

MasterSezFaster