Company retracting car parking facilities

La Haine · 13-11-2019 1:47pm #1

Hi all,

I have been working with the same company, in Dublin City, for nearly 9 years now.

The company always provided car parking facilities with no expense paid on my part.

During this 9 years we have moved premises once within the city and, again, were given free car parking.

We are now moving again; much further out (but still in city centre), and there will be no car park facilities supplied by the company this time.

There is nothing in my contract about being entitled to a car park spot at the companies expense.

Don't suppose, after 8 years of having this perk, that I'd be entitled to some form of compensation or the like? Compensation is the wrong word I suppose, but should the company be providing some form of alternative where I won't be out of pocket after the move? Like – if you have something for long enough, it 'becomes' part of your package like?

I'm clutching at straws here, I know.

Thanks!
La Haine

Mickiemcfist · 13-11-2019 1:49pm

Yea the government will provide compensation. 50% off buses, trains & darts on the travel saver program.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 2:10pm

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Yea the government will provide compensation. 50% off buses, trains & darts on the travel saver program.

Yup, fully aware of the government initiatives. Thank you for your service.

However, I'm asking after the possibility of my companies obligations (if any) before I approach HR.

Again "I'm clutching at straws here, I know." :P

charlietheminxx · 13-11-2019 2:55pm

Do you have to drive for work?

K.Flyer · 13-11-2019 3:01pm

La Haine wrote: »

Yup, fully aware of the government initiatives. Thank you for your service.

However, I'm asking after the possibility of my companies obligations (if any) before I approach HR.

Again "I'm clutching at straws here, I know." :P

If it's not part of your contract terms to provide parking facilities I don't see how you could be entitled to anything or that there is any onus on them to continue providing parking facilities.

reg114 · 13-11-2019 4:08pm

If its not part of your contract then its very unlikely. You have been very lucky to have had free parking for so long. Have you considered public transport or cycling, it could be a blessing in disguise.

godtabh · 13-11-2019 4:12pm

did you pay benefit in kind for this perk?

sassyj · 13-11-2019 4:12pm

Could possibly be considered an implied contract term after 9 years, (custom and practice). Has any consultation been done with staff, I would request that as a first approach.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:18pm

Thanks for the reply's guys.

Very fortunate to have the option to drive-in every day as it suited my out-of-office commitments to have the car.
9 years is a long time to start taking something for granted!

Mickiemcfist · 13-11-2019 4:20pm

sassyj wrote: »

Could possibly be considered an implied contract term after 9 years, (custom and practice). Has any consultation been done with staff, I would request that as a first approach.

You see this is why we can't have nice things. People get a cushy perk for a while because their employers were good enough to do so while not being obliged to & then the employer gets it thrown back in their faces because they gave staff a nice thing for too long.

As someone who employs people, this attitude drives me absolutely insane.

reg114 · 13-11-2019 4:23pm

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

You see this is why we can't have nice things. People get a cushy perk for a while because their employers were good enough to do so while not being obliged to & then the employer gets it thrown back in their faces because they gave staff a nice thing for too long.

As someone who employs people, this attitude drives me absolutely insane.

Yup couldnt agree more , you had a luxury of free parking , its now gone, end of story, find an alternative way to get to work.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:25pm

sassyj wrote: »

Could possibly be considered an implied contract term after 9 years, (custom and practice). Has any consultation been done with staff, I would request that as a first approach.

Ah! This could be worth having a look into - thank you!

Cordell · 13-11-2019 4:25pm

Or find alternative work, maybe this is what they're after, less of the kind that drives to work, more of the kind that cycles

Did they actually provide car parking, or was it just there for the taking, as in a building with its own carpark?

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:30pm

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

You see this is why we can't have nice things. People get a cushy perk for a while because their employers were good enough to do so while not being obliged to & then the employer gets it thrown back in their faces because they gave staff a nice thing for too long.

As someone who employs people, this attitude drives me absolutely insane.

So you give your staff a 'perk' (freely, willingly and without condition) and then withdraw it after nearly a decade, even though your business is quite successful – you think none of your staff would react? That they'd, perhaps, thank you, for what time they DID have the perk for?

Bless!

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:31pm

reg114 wrote: »

Yup couldnt agree more , you had a luxury of free parking , its now gone, end of story, find an alternative way to get to work.

Solid advice. Thank you for your service.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:32pm

godtabh wrote: »

did you pay benefit in kind for this perk?

Nope. Non-designated.

daheff · 13-11-2019 4:34pm

la Haine, I would hazard a guess that a lot of your compensation /benefits are not in your contract. I'd imagine in 9 years that a lot has changed since you signed the contract. As you had a parking space for 9 years, my guess is that the parking would be a deemed benefit, just like any additional work/duties you've taken on since you started.

Work in practice I think its called.

godtabh wrote: »

did you pay benefit in kind for this perk?

does anybody?

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:38pm

daheff wrote: »

la Haine, I would hazard a guess that a lot of your compensation /benefits are not in your contract. I'd imagine in 9 years that a lot has changed since you signed the contract. As you had a parking space for 9 years, my guess is that the parking would be a deemed benefit, just like any additional work/duties you've taken on since you started.

Work in practice I think its called.

does anybody?

Thank you!

I'll research that before approaching work!

Mickiemcfist · 13-11-2019 4:42pm

daheff wrote: »

la Haine, I would hazard a guess that a lot of your compensation /benefits are not in your contract. I'd imagine in 9 years that a lot has changed since you signed the contract. As you had a parking space for 9 years, my guess is that the parking would be a deemed benefit, just like any additional work/duties you've taken on since you started.

Work in practice I think its called.

I think you're thinking of work practice, which is not binding - however it's more to do with how people work, not where people dump their cars.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:46pm

LINK

Seems there's no BIK on company car parking as it happens.

Spook_ie · 13-11-2019 4:48pm

La Haine wrote: »

Hi all,

I have been working with the same company, in Dublin City, for nearly 9 years now.

The company always provided car parking facilities with no expense paid on my part.

During this 9 years we have moved premises once within the city and, again, were given free car parking.

We are now moving again; much further out (but still in city centre), and there will be no car park facilities supplied by the company this time.

There is nothing in my contract about being entitled to a car park spot at the companies expense.

Don't suppose, after 8 years of having this perk, that I'd be entitled to some form of compensation or the like? Compensation is the wrong word I suppose, but should the company be providing some form of alternative where I won't be out of pocket after the move? Like – if you have something for long enough, it 'becomes' part of your package like?

I'm clutching at straws here, I know.

Thanks!
La Haine

I'd be more worried about the taxman looking for BIK on the "free" parking

Mickiemcfist · 13-11-2019 4:48pm

La Haine wrote: »

So you give your staff a 'perk' (freely, willingly and without condition) and then withdraw it after nearly a decade, even though your business is quite successful – you think none of your staff would react? That they'd, perhaps, thank you, for what time they DID have the perk for?

Bless!

Now sweetie, we're mostly grown ups here. If you had fruit in the office for 9 years & they removed that, would you go on boards to have a whinge?

In previous jobs I've had pay cuts, perks withdrawn & signed new agreements to accept that.

You're the type of person who ruins everything for everyone else because from now on the company will have to be prescriptive & will not give any extras or you'll want to go to mediation over it. Just grow up & cop on, you had a non-contractual benefit & the show is over.

If you were employable & it was that big an issue you'd go & get another job, but I'm guessing that's not the case.

L1011 · 13-11-2019 4:49pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

I'd be more worried about the taxman looking for BIK on the "free" parking

There is currently no basis for BIK on parking spaces.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:52pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

I'd be more worried about the taxman looking for BIK on the "free" parking

Taxman has no interest.

Link

13-11-2019 4:53pm

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Now sweetie, we're mostly grown ups here.

I can spot the exception. :rolleyes:

Spook_ie · 13-11-2019 4:59pm

La Haine wrote: »

LINK

Seems there's no BIK on company car parking as it happens.

L1011 wrote: »

There is currently no basis for BIK on parking spaces.

Fair enough, can't help feeling the taxman missed out on that one.

How much is city center parking worth €3 an hour 8 hours a day, €24 by 5 days
€120 by 48 weeks €5760 a year, that's some benefit to get gratis.

La Haine · 13-11-2019 4:59pm

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Now sweetie, we're mostly grown ups here. If you had fruit in the office for 9 years & they removed that, would you go on boards to have a whinge?

In previous jobs I've had pay cuts, perks withdrawn & signed new agreements to accept that.

You're the type of person who ruins everything for everyone else because from now on the company will have to be prescriptive & will not give any extras or you'll want to go to mediation over it. Just grow up & cop on, you had a non-contractual benefit & the show is over.

If you were employable & it was that big an issue you'd go & get another job, but I'm guessing that's not the case.

Sweetie.

Congratulations on getting as far as you have. I salute you.
However, try and now narrow your focus: Would your our own employees <cough> thank you for what time they had with a perk you provided (freely and willingly) for 9 years when you withdraw it?

paulpd · 13-11-2019 5:00pm

My OH had parking for 15yrs in the public sector. Building renovated and extended and after that only senior management got a space as the car park was used up in the re-building.

If there was a case for parking to be supplied going forward like some people suggest then surely the unions would have been on top it?? The OH said some people contacted the union and the union said there was no case. It was never in a contract.

Just rent a space nearby if you need to drive.

Mickiemcfist · 13-11-2019 5:04pm

La Haine wrote: »

Sweetie.

Congratulations on getting as far as you have. I salute you.
However, try and now narrow your focus: Would your our own employees <cough> thank you for what time they had with a perk you provided (freely and willingly) for 9 years when you withdraw it?

Not in business 9 years, however I'd like to think they'd understand that business needs come before their own. They entered into a contract prior to starting work & it didn't include parking, so if they got it, that's great, but it's not something that had been promised. Obviously they would prefer we had parking etc. but if we're moving office in town, options are limited. If someone raised a major issue about it and needed official consultation, I know who I'd be planning on letting go if we ever had to restructure or hit hard times.

It would be a huge highlight to me that someone is not a team player & is purely out for what they can personally get. i.e. their values are not aligned with values of the business (which are Growth of profits & professional development of staff)

13-11-2019 5:08pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

Fair enough, can't help feeling the taxman missed out on that one.

How much is city center parking worth €3 an hour 8 hours a day, €24 by 5 days
€120 by 48 weeks €5760 a year, that's some benefit to get gratis.

https://jervis.ie/parking/ ...........5 day pass only €42
For 46 weeks (20 days annual leave and the 10 public holidays) that'd be €1932 ...... way less then the €5760 you mention.

Not that it matters though

Do you reckon the taxman is missing a trick on subsidised canteens, complimentary tea & coffee etc etc ?

neris · 13-11-2019 5:10pm

La Haine wrote: »

Taxman has no interest.

Link

they were talking about going after it a few years ago during recession as a BIK but they saw sense and knocked the idea

Company retracting car parking facilities

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