Should You Let Your Employees Take Their Work Vehicles Home?

Question

I'd love everyone's input on this and their why behind it!

My coworkers usually use their own vehicles but I have a couple that use company vehicles. It started because my first real employee had his truck repo-ed and I needed him to stay working so I let him use my burner car. Then my mom blessed me with her old vehicle so I could let him use an actual work truck. Then I got another Van that I was using until another employee had an issue with his wife's car now he uses the Van so his family can use his truck for their personal stuff. He never uses it for personal stuff but it lives at home.

Now the set up is we have a big Van that's used but always gets left at the shop. But the small van is being taken home by an employee. Seemed fine until it got broken in to and then of course I'm footing the bill to get it fixed.

Especially when your vehicles are wrapped, you become a target. BUT the drawbacks are - when someone parks at the shop, that means as soon as they get to the shop every day, they have to clock in (california law). So every day, you are paying for up to an hour of lost time from them going to te shop to get their vehicle, then going to the job instead of going straight to the job site.

Now my employees use their own tools so if the car gets broken in to, it's their stuff being stolen so the cost is damage to your property/ potential lost income if you have to decommission the vehicle for a few days.

What is your opinion on this?

wolfcubjr · Answer

My intention when I get to this point, is to have them come to the office and get the truck in the AM. That way we can load it with the supplies of where they need to go and jobs to be done. (Of course, I’ll supply the tools as well). This saves me from having to pay them mileage, allows them to know all they have to do is get to the office and they have reliable transportation (if they can’t that’s a whole other conversation and review.) It also creates an opportunity for me to know where their mindset is for the day and if we have to point them into a better metal position for the day for success. I want my employees to feel like they are working for a company that cares for them. A W2 pay with bonuses and regular raises, an employee truck, tools covered, jobs set up. All they have to do is come to work. Hopefully I will have created an environment they want to stay in long term. &nbsp;

wiringbyron · Answer

I'm in Vancouver, Canada, so the cities are all pretty spread out and travel time is a killer here. It doesn't make sense to have a shop here and have people commuting every single morning, then getting the vans and leaving, and doing the same thing at the end of the day. It's just not efficient whatsoever.

Although I am always jealous of people that have the shop where everyone comes in the morning, I can see it being really good for culture.

All of our journeymen electricians take the vans home, but they do not use them for personal use. If they do have to use them for personal use or a side job, we just ask that they are open and honest with us before doing it.

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Should You Let Your Employees Take Their Work Vehicles Home?

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