Sack him, or keep him?

Also do him a deal. Seeing as its you who brokered the deal to keep him, make him sign a new contract.

In the new contract, have clauses stating "any further traffic violations", including speeding, reckless, etc... you rack up under the new contract, after you've done the speed awareness course, and your van has to be restricted (for insurance reasons..). Get caught speeding again, and you're out the door... no exemptions

That's only fair, as you put your credibility on the line, and you don't want to be made a ***** of by his driving standards.

Parking tickets is a minor deal.. I get them all the time in the truck - can't avoid them in town with an artic...

I haven't read all the posts, there are so many!

Im an Electrician and rely on my driving license for work. You shouldnt have bailed him out the first time round. He was the idiot, let him deal with it. Dont get involved this time. Dont sack him if he is as good as you say. You'd only sack him as an excuse to sack him (if he was **** at his job and this was the first opportunity to get rid).

Take the van or whatever he has from him. I'd call him in for 'a chat' and explain that you wont be getting involved this time, tell him you helped him out last time as a friend, which he has now thrown in your face (make him feel guilty for what he has done).

Most importantly, tell him he wont be losing his job over this but he will obviously have to find his own transport to work at his own expense. He may decide to look for a job closer to home for the length of the ban and if he does then so be it.

Also tell him that being late to work from now on because of this is unacceptable and if caught late? dock his wages! He will learn his lesson this time.

[gruntygiggles]

+1 to Stuuk1

I would say that it would be more hassle for you to train up someone else, BUT...you need to make absolutely sure that this employee understands that anything that he does in or out of work that has a direct effect on his work is totally unacceptable. You could go down the route of contract changes that mean he funds his own transport, but it would probably be easier to explain to him that because other people will be taking time away from their own roles in order to ferry him about, his salary will be lowered to cover the additional costs to the company...more than fair.

Also, I would definately add a clause stating that any other traffic violations would result in immediate dismissal....even if you have to go down the route of "bringing the company into disrepute". If he's been caught speeding in the company vehicle....wipe the bleeding floor with him as while he is in that vehicle and on work time, he is as responsible for the reputation of the company as you are. I abhore employees who don't give a damn....it costs you business in the long run, so make sure he knows he's not going to get bailes out by you all the time and make him pay his own fine too.

Loads of people speed all the time and don't get caught because they are aware of what's around them. I would worry about anyone that can get caught speeding like this guy as the reason may be that he's just not paying that much attention and that could mean he doesn't see a bike/pedestrian/red light etc one day!

Good luck with it xxx

[gruntygiggles]

We've just been discussing this and to add a few points...

Making him pay for his own travel costs would not work IMO. He wouldn't be able to do the job using public transport as he'd be lucky to get two appointments in in one day, spending most of his time waiting for buses/trains. So, he'd have to use taxis and this would probably cost him most of his wages, if not more.

Personally, I wouldn't have written a letter to the court the last time he got caught, only because any letter like that COULD be seen as defending him and with the repuation of the company at stake, I'd rather foot the cost and always be able to say that as a company, we do not tolerate speeding as opposed to.....if one of our drivers speeds, we'll ask the court to be lenient and let him keep his job.

Sometimes it's better to just accept the cost of training someone else and as said before, I don't think guy can be that safe a driver....let alone the speeding as his awareness is clearly lacking.

I'd keep him on to save money, drastically reduce his salary, amend his contract and do something to reward the guys that are going to have to drive him around.

Also, I would make damn sure that he does not feel in the least that he has been let off the hook. If he gets a ban.......as Nic just said about Drews Post...he will make the insurance go up, so put something in place that makes him pay for this...be it through the salary drop OR through an agreed deduction from his salary.