Insuring 18 year old employee on farm van

[ollie989898]

I mean the lad sounds a pr*ck… but also it’s not his job to get between sites that’s your job! He has too drive too a single place of employment anything beyond that is your problem… if he gets stopped driving between sites he’ll get shafted for no insurance because he’s not got business insurance…

I'm not sure I agree. I used to take my car between sites if it meant when I was finished loading lorries I could get in the car and go straight home. If vehicles/vans are pool cars etc then technically you can't take them home for the night?

Buying a Corsa van and putting the young lad on the thing as the sole driver 3rd party might be expensive but point out if he has a prang he is paying the excess? Also discuss with insurer regarding the fitment of a black box which might bring the cost down somewhat?

 

[Mc115reed]

I'm not sure I agree. I used to take my car between sites if it meant when I was finished loading lorries I could get in the car and go straight home. If vehicles/vans are pool cars etc then technically you can't take them home for the night?

Buying a Corsa van and putting the young lad on the thing as the sole driver 3rd party might be expensive but point out if he has a prang he is paying the excess? Also discuss with insurer regarding the fitment of a black box which might bring the cost down somewhat?

It doesn’t matter what you agree with it’s what the insurance agree with … your policy normally states “social, domestic, pleasure and commuting to a single place of work” … so using it too move between sites would be uninsured because that’s not where you started work at that day…

but it sounds like the lad is a pain in the arse so just sack him and get someone older who is more appealing for insurance

 

[spinkles]

It doesn’t matter what you agree with it’s what the insurance agree with … your policy normally states “social, domestic, pleasure and commuting to a single place of work” … so using it too move between sites would be uninsured because that’s not where you started work at that day…

but it sounds like the lad is a pain in the arse so just sack him and get someone older who is more appealing for insurance

daughter works for argos and if she uses her own car between shops during her shift she has to have occaisional busininess use cover, not much extra premium as she is over 25

 

[Thick Farmer]

Unfortunately its 16 miles never flits between very oftens though maybe once a week! Yes we had his Dad round throwing his weight around saying what we should be doing etc. Can't really be doing with the hassle tbh just thought we'd give the lad a chance

Sack him

 

[som farmer]

You need to talk to your insurance company first and see what they have to say about it.

All depends on what cover you have now, we had any driver policy with NFU when I looked after insurance, one driver got done drinking and driving in the 1970s and the insurance co at the time, General Accident, would insure him after his ban was over, but only for 3rd party cover for the next 5 years.

If you do as @ollie989898 suggests don't let him take it home or use it for personal use, which would be a 'Benefit In Kind' anyway.

we shared a young lad, with a neighbour, road his bike in every morning, if it was dark, in the evening, usually drove him home, as did neighbour. Good lad, both of us were very fair to him, payed him well. As often is the case, they get bored, and attendance slowly became non existent.

he went on for a contractor, tractor driving all summer/autumn.

read the local rag one day, saw his name in the 'court section', he'd tried to out run a police car, crashed and caught. Banned for 3 years, with the comment, he had only been legal, for 2 weeks, after finishing his last 3 year ban

where would any of stand, if he had had an accident, while in our employment ? We asked, and were told, 'no problems'. Luckily only insured for tractors, here and neighbours. Contractor wasn't best pleased.

interestingly, we had a livery yard, and some horses escaped one night, and caused mayhem, 4 were killed on the main road.

first port of call, solicitors, to see where l stood. Passed the comment, all of the girls were going to have to show me their insurance policies.

solicitors reply, that it was illegal to demand to see that they were insured, same with vehicles, we do not have the legal right, to demand to see them.

followed by the remark that it would be a waste of time, for the horse girls, as they usually paid insurance monthly, and that many cannot keep the payments up.

we were fully insured, but bills coming in the post, threatening letters etc, not nice, the largest one was £200,000+.

as said, we were insured, and not liable for any claim, went on for 2 years.

 

[TripleSix]

That is the issue, is there anyone any better. I highly doubt it.

A local pig farmer tells me that his main requirement for staff nowadays is that they turn up on a morning.....

 

[quavers]

ask your insurance to only insure him between the 2 farms

 

[Banana Bar]

I'd told him to always make it right on time sheet if he travelled on the job in his own viechle. E.g. 32 mile round trip put 1.5hrs on top but he complained his car smelt of pigs. I will give the nfu a ring in the morning and see what they say. Took the lad on when he had no job and was in a bit of a mess and he shows no respect or gratitude what so ever, he's lazy and never does a job properly unless he's sat on his arse. Then as soon as there's a problem his Dads in the yard and he hasn't even had a proper bollocking... yet

Is it a general thing with youngsters of today?

Why are you keeping him?

 

[kiwi pom]

I'd told him to always make it right on time sheet if he travelled on the job in his own viechle. E.g. 32 mile round trip put 1.5hrs on top but he complained his car smelt of pigs. I will give the nfu a ring in the morning and see what they say. Took the lad on when he had no job and was in a bit of a mess and he shows no respect or gratitude what so ever, he's lazy and never does a job properly unless he's sat on his arse. Then as soon as there's a problem his Dads in the yard and he hasn't even had a proper bollocking... yet

Is it a general thing with youngsters of today?

No I don't think so but the best and brightest generally don't want to work on a pig farm, especially for farm wages.

Why employ youngsters, maybe older staff are better.

Sounds like this lad needs to go though, after you've explained where he's failing his contract and not done things properly etc so you get no comeback.

 

[Mydexta]

Yes, his attitude sounds a bit crap, and getting his dad involved every time the wind changes direction isn to great

but

asking someone to use their own vehicle for work purposes, regardless if your paying him or not is near as bad, especially if like he says, it ends up stinking if pigs. Take yourself back to when you were 18, would you fancy going out with your mates at night or weekends with a stinking car???

you say he’s been told to put extra on his timesheet, what about if he gets a puncture on route??? Do you pay to Fix that???!

In an industry that is struggling to attract young staff, the sack him attitudes isn’t going to do anything to help attract anyone, then in a few yrs time the same people are moaning because they can’t get staff as there is nobody wanting to do the job.

Just remember, everyone was young once, and made mistakes

 

[puppet]

read the local rag one day, saw his name in the 'court section', he'd tried to out run a police car, crashed and caught. Banned for 3 years, with the comment, he had only been legal, for 2 weeks, after finishing his last 3 year ban

where would any of stand, if he had had an accident, while in our employment ? We asked, and were told, 'no problems'. Luckily only insured for tractors, here and neighbours. Contractor wasn't best pleased.

In other jobs you would be asked to show you had a licence before starting.

 

[som farmer]

In other jobs you would be asked to show you had a licence before starting.

fully agree.
and was horrified to be told different.

next time the question arises, l will just simply ask for, and expect to be shown insurance, driving licence etc. And if not forthcoming, suspect a 'problem'.

but legal ? Doesn't surprise me if not, one only has to look at the mad fecked up times we live in, where politicians just play, to the loudest voice.

 

[rusty]

When we take on a new employee part of the induction is to see and photocopy their driving licence. Last one never told us he didn’t have a car licence (despite driving himself to the interview). He did have a valid tractor licence that we were able to verify on line. Turned out after he had failed the theory test 4 times he gave up. I have incentivised him with a pay rise once he has passed.

 

[farenheit]

You want to get a driving licence check code: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

So you can see their current driving licence status, points etc.

 

[essexpete]

I'd told him to always make it right on time sheet if he travelled on the job in his own viechle. E.g. 32 mile round trip put 1.5hrs on top but he complained his car smelt of pigs. I will give the nfu a ring in the morning and see what they say. Took the lad on when he had no job and was in a bit of a mess and he shows no respect or gratitude what so ever, he's lazy and never does a job properly unless he's sat on his arse. Then as soon as there's a problem his Dads in the yard and he hasn't even had a proper bollocking... yet

Is it a general thing with youngsters of today?

Well looks like you have your own answers in there.

 

[essexpete]

Reminds of my first student year (scarily a long time ago). Had to use my car between farms. Had to drive my car on one occasion with another young lad. We were on grain store clean duties, I was already pee'd off, and a bit filthy. I was whinging like a brat about the use of my car. In the course of conversation I asked the other lad, recently arrived, how he had come to the farm. He replied 'I am the Governor's grandson'. Oh how I wished the floor in my old banger would let me through.

 

[SteveHants]

if he is over 18, I would point out to the father (in a polite way) that due to confidentiality I could not discuss anything with him.

This is a good point - according to GDPR you probably can't unless the lad gives explicit consent for you to do so.

 

[kiwi pom]

In other jobs you would be asked to show you had a licence before starting.

When I was trucking my employer had access to my licence records so they knew straight away if I'd been naughty.
Not compulsory but if you didn't give access your licence was viewed and checked every day before being allowed to start work.

 

[DrDunc]

Tell the dad to be his chauffeur until the lad has earned enough to pay for his own insurance

Why should you put yourself out because the 18yo is an incompetent twit behind the wheel?

 

[ollie989898]

When we take on a new employee part of the induction is to see and photocopy their driving licence. Last one never told us he didn’t have a car licence (despite driving himself to the interview). He did have a valid tractor licence that we were able to verify on line. Turned out after he had failed the theory test 4 times he gave up. I have incentivised him with a pay rise once he has passed.

I was told to bring all documents to my very first harvest job years ago and they were photocopied. Most situations as a new starter were the same IIRC. Good policy to have in place.

EDIT: forgot to say, I think these days having copies/photographs of your telehandler, chainsaw, PA1/2 certs, P45 etc and even your passport isn't out of the question given that many companies require evidence of your right to work in the UK these days. It also confirms your identity which might be no small thing also.