I normallly work nights clocking on at 17.00 & off around 0230 /0300, next week i am not working monday night, (night off), but on tuesday morning i have an interview with Culina at 0800 - 10.00 which includes a driving assesment for around 45 min, i am then due back into work for my shift at 17.00… Can i do it legally? Does driving assesment count as work??
Governor!:
I normallly work nights clocking on at 17.00 & off around 0230 /0300, next week i am not working monday night, (night off), but on tuesday morning i have an interview with Culina at 0800 - 10.00 which includes a driving assesment for around 45 min, i am then due back into work for my shift at 17.00… Can i do it legally? Does driving assesment count as work??
Yes you can start work at 17.00 but will need to finish 15 hrs max after your assesment drive starts. You could argue that your not being paid for this assesment so it isnt work and doesnt count as its voluntary.
Swings n roundabouts
Or delay your start time slightly so that you start 9 hrs after your assesment drive finishes
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.
green456:
Yes you can start work at 17.00 but will need to finish 15 hrs max after your assesment drive starts. You could argue that your not being paid for this assesment so it isnt work and doesnt count as its voluntary.
I’m afraid that doesn’t work. I looked into being a Special Constable (unpaid) and as a volunteer driver at my local Hospice (unpaid) but it all counts towards your weekly hours as work.
green456:
Or delay your start time slightly so that you start 9 hrs after your assesment drive finishes
I reckon this is the only thing you can do. If you don’t take your digicard to the assessment, they won’t take you out and you won’t get the job. If you’re honest with them, they’ll still expect you to go out. It’s not their problem is it. It’s ■■■■ but that’s the way it is.
If you want the new job! Then take the infringement governor! Or be late into work in the evening and blame the traffic! 
Might have to take a tuesday night sickie 
I have to download my digi card every evening when i get in, so the assessment drive will show up, also cant delay start time as i have to be at Newmarket1930/2000 and then Thatcham 2200/2300 and then back to chelmsford between 0200/0300.
I had the same problem after doing an assessment at Iceland Enfield! Got in and thought I had 9 hours! It was 8 hrs 59m! 
Downloaded my card and never heard anything from Stobbies! 
Governor!:
Might have to take a tuesday night sickie
That’s probably your best bet. I went for an assessment at Stobbies last year so I was ‘sick’ at work for the day. Kind of wish I hadn’t got the job now though, set of ■■■■■■
bald bloke:
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.
I’m convinced this will work ^ .
MikeCunn:
Governor!:
Might have to take a tuesday night sickieThat’s probably your best bet. I went for an assessment at Stobbies last year so I was ‘sick’ at work for the day. Kind of wish I hadn’t got the job now though, set of [zb]!
But your assessment drive will still show up and you have compounded the problem by saying you were to ill to drive for them. Awkward situation.
bald bloke:
bald bloke:
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.I’m convinced this will work ^ .
going for an assessment and forgetting your card ffs…do you want the job■■?
DoYouMeanMe?:
MikeCunn:
Governor!:
Might have to take a tuesday night sickieThat’s probably your best bet. I went for an assessment at Stobbies last year so I was ‘sick’ at work for the day. Kind of wish I hadn’t got the job now though, set of [zb]!
But your assessment drive will still show up and you have compounded the problem by saying you were to ill to drive for them. Awkward situation.
True. I forgot he has to download his card before each shift. I didn’t have to do that and if I hadn’t got the job I would’ve ‘lost’ my card and paid for a new one. It would’ve been worth it to save the hassle. The OP is between a rock and a hard place that’s for sure.
I reckon it’s time to ‘lose’ the card now, then have a new one ready for next week after the assessment.
it might count as work in regard to the WTD/RTD. but the thing is, you are excempt from tacho regs, so you don’t need to use your digi card, or a tacho chart.
and as we all know. the WTD/RTD has been suspended for the foreseeable future.
however, if they want you to use your card, then use it, and do a printout, write the reason for excemption, “training vehicle, not for hire and reward”.
the OP could lose his card whilst walking to his car after the assesment, he then cannot download it at the start of his night shift but can still legaly work until his replacement card arrives. think its 19 quid for a replacement 
limeyphil:
it might count as work in regard to the WTD/RTD. but the thing is, you are excempt from tacho regs, so you don’t need to use your digi card, or a tacho chart.
and as we all know. the WTD/RTD has been suspended for the foreseeable future.
however, if they want you to use your card, then use it, and do a printout, write the reason for excemption, “training vehicle, not for hire and reward”.
He’s not training for a license he’s doing an assessment and it’s not tachograph exempt.
bald bloke:
bald bloke:
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.I’m convinced this will work ^ .
I’m convinced it would stop him getting a job with any company other than a cowboy outfit, no half decent assessor is going to allow the op or anyone else to do an assessment drive in a vehicle fitted with a digital tachograph unless he has his driver card with him, initially saying he’s forgotten his driver card would not only mean he couldn’t do the assessment drive it would make him look an idiot who can’t even remember possibly the most important item he needs to take to the assessment.
Governor!:
I normallly work nights clocking on at 17.00 & off around 0230 /0300, next week i am not working monday night, (night off), but on tuesday morning i have an interview with Culina at 0800 - 10.00 which includes a driving assesment for around 45 min, i am then due back into work for my shift at 17.00… Can i do it legally? Does driving assesment count as work??
The assessment drive does count as work and as far as I can see your best option is to book a night off for Tuesday as well as Monday if that’s possible.
As has already been said if you phone in sick it will look suspicious when they download your driver card and see it was used on Tuesday morning.
There are times when digital tachographs can be a nuisance.
tachograph:
limeyphil:
it might count as work in regard to the WTD/RTD. but the thing is, you are excempt from tacho regs, so you don’t need to use your digi card, or a tacho chart.
and as we all know. the WTD/RTD has been suspended for the foreseeable future.
however, if they want you to use your card, then use it, and do a printout, write the reason for excemption, “training vehicle, not for hire and reward”.He’s not training for a license he’s doing an assessment and it’s not tachograph exempt.
the exemption concerns the vehicle, not the driver. can they prove it wasn’t a training vehicle?
just like when someone gets told, “you have a discrepency here drive”.
and the reply is, “i’m sure i was carrying meat, that wasn’t for human consumption”.
and the vosa man says “i bet you was, on your way driver”.
xamtex:
bald bloke:
bald bloke:
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.I’m convinced this will work ^ .
going for an assessment and forgetting your card ffs…do you want the job■■?
If you read it properly i meant he could pretend he has lost it but if that becomes difficult maybe he could suddenly find it in his back pocket, i was in this situation last year but the assessor of the company i was looking at joining knew the score and let me do a print out.
bald bloke:
xamtex:
bald bloke:
bald bloke:
Try and pretend you’ve forgotten your digi card, if the assessor won’t take you out then maybe explain nicely what the problem is, and yes it would still count as work unfortunately.
Come back and tell us how it went as I also work for them.I’m convinced this will work ^ .
going for an assessment and forgetting your card ffs…do you want the job■■?
If you read it properly i meant he could pretend he has lost it but if that becomes difficult maybe he could suddenly find it in his back pocket, i was in this situation last year but the assessor of the company i was looking at joining knew the score and let me do a print out.
I think I’d be more inclined to ensure that I took the digicard but also to mention the potential problem to the assessor. I’d also be careful to ensure that if I did have to use the digicard on the asessment I’d taken the requisite rest period beforehand; brownie points for being prepared.
As Tachograph says digicards can be a nuisance sometimes. Law of unintended consequences applies here.