Shawnee Love   •  
April 27, 2017

Building on last week’s blog about vehicle allowances, did you know you have responsibilities when your employees use their own vehicles for work purposes?

Not only could you be liable for bad behaviour on the road during working hours, but you also have some responsibility for:

• The safety of their vehicle,
• Adequate insurance, and
• Safe operation.

For those reasons, not to mention the importance of keeping an employee productive and on the road, I recommend the following protocols if you have employees who drive their own vehicles for work:

1. Obtain copies of the employee’s current valid driver’s license (with no restrictions) and satisfactory driving record (aka driving abstract) prior to beginning work and at least once per year thereafter,
2. Obtain a copy of the employee’s vehicle insurance at hire and upon renewal each year to confirm the employee carries appropriate insurance for business use,
3. Provide or require an employee to have safety supplies in the vehicle such as first aid kit, fire extinguisher, hazard triangles,
4. Mandate the employee to follow the rules of the road and drive safely,
5. Educate the employee in what to do in case of accident,
6. Establish and train the employee in a personal vehicle use policy which outlines all these points and any others which apply to your organization.

If you notice something I have missed in this list, please comment!