Using a private vehicle for even a single work journey triggers a range of employer responsibilities that many organisations are unaware of. Private vehicles used for work by employees are referred to as your grey fleet. First, the vehicle must be insured for business use. A standard private motor insurance policy will only cover the driver for commuting which, in the insurance sense, means driving to and from a single main place of work.

If your staff are officially classed as home-based, then even driving to the office could be classed as a business journey. Any other journey – site visits and client meetings, making deliveries, attending offsite training, seminars and exhibitions, running errands – even popping to the shops to stock up on coffee, milk and biscuits because your biggest client is about to arrive – counts as a business journey.

The driver needs to have told their insurer that the vehicle will be used for business journeys. Often this is at no extra charge, or simply an administration fee to amend an existing policy. The vehicle should be roadworthy and have a valid MOT. The driver’s licence should be checked. Employers who simply ask an employee to ‘pop somewhere’ in their own car without carrying out these checks are exposing themselves to significant legal and insurance risk. Occasional use does not reduce the duty of care – it simply makes it easier to overlook.