Right, we've got a problem at work.... a few years ago, everyone used to park at the end of the car park ,and one day a white van came and robbed 4 bikes.... in under a minute they had the locks snipped, and the bikes loaded onto the van....

so they put in a big bar at the front of the building and let us park right in front of the security desk where the bikes could have an eye kept on all day.... no thefts since.

now there's a new 'facilities manager' who has said that we aren't allowed to park in front of the building any more and that we have to park back in the place where the bikes were nicked from. and anyone parking in a parking space would get a final written warning.

I was wondering if anyone here knows where I legally stand in parking in a normal parking space, where my bike can be seen and more secure, and if the company would be legally bound to take some responsibility should the bikes get nicked, as now they are being parked next to a walk way that leads to the main road, and neither of them are lit up at night... so the security cameras wouldn't be able to pick anything up.... here's a lil idea of what we are dealing with.....



also, where we park now is where the bikes were nicked from... however this time they have put a big bullbar in for us to tie our bikes to.... there's not enough room for everyone to park their bikes in the little area they have given us, because they have put half of the area as push bike parking as well.... so the little space there is supposed to be enough for 10-14 bikes.... and like i said, if you park at the front where we used to park, or in a car parking place, you'll get a written warning....


any ideas anyone?

If it's private ground then they can do whatever they like. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

You could try taking it higher.. ie above the Facilities Manager.

Get together with the other bikers and organise locking the bikes to each other as well as to the bar, use a disk lock as well, and get one of those alrm systems that contacts your mobile.

Legal;ly the company is not obliged to provide parking, let alone secure parking!

It's worth writing to the facilities manager and calmly explaining why this is a problem, it may be that he doesn't understand. And as someone suggested, if that doesn't work it may well be worth taking it higher - but be calm and conciliatory, most people who don't ride just don't understand how vulnerable parked bikes are.

thing is.... the facilities manager and the lady in HR dont like bikes.... so their opinions are biased anyway... I'm just wondering where I stand legally...

also, tonight someone pointed out to me that there's not enough room there to park even half the bikes that come to work, and thats if they were parked right up close, side by side... so to safely park up and dismount your bike... is there any legislation in place for what is and what isn't safe?

Nope, because they dont have to provide parking, they could just turn around and say, fine no bikes allowed at all and expect you to find alternative transport (or employment!)

Do enough of the people that have bikes also have cars to make it awkward for those that only have cars to park? If they do get everyone to come in early and use up the car spaces that everyone else is using. When they complain, explain politely that it isn't safe to bring the bike in because of the change to parking arrangements. Then see whether they change their minds.

What Ian said, to the letter.

People get quite protective about their parking arrangements.

Have all the car drivers upset as well as all the bikers will at the very least give the facilites manager a bigger headache.

It's always really important to keep any communications as objective as possible- don't get personal and try to look at everything from a business point of view.

Good luck.

I would do what Ian says... seems like the only "legal" way to fight that battle.

you bet they'll take notice when no one else can park their cars.

especially if you park in the faculties managers spaces! (if they don't have designated spaces then its a free for all first come first served and all that.

while turning all the car drivers against you at the same time...

well, almost all the people who ride their bikes to work dont have cars.... and I forgot to mention that there's hardly any lighting around the area that they are telling us to park our bikes by... and I checked the security cameras friday night and not one was pointing towards the motorcycle parking... they have said that there's hourly security patrols, which is a lie... the security guards dont see anything further than their telly.

Why?
he's only driving to work... nothing wrong there.

I have a similar situation...
where I work, parking spaces are limited, there's about 3k people working there and the parking spaces are not enough, depsite being 3 storey and there's about 7 of them...

so... anyone who commutes by bike, pushbike, walk or bus, get's £70quid more at the end of the month..
as I commute on my bike, I applied for this years ago and i get the money...however, sometimes I do need to take the car to work if I need to pick up something on the way to a customer or if I finish with the customer by lunchtime and im back in the office in the afternoon for 2 or 3h...

Now... just by the fact that i would be parking the car for these 3h probably once or twice a month they said they wouldnt give me the money and i would be issued with a parking permit and a parking space.

which I think it was ridiculous, because there is a waiting list and i could have been "stealing" a parking space from someone that really needs one....when i didnt really need as i take the bike to work..
BUT!
If they were prepared to do that, I would be parking my bike on a car space and not in the bike bays, because if the car space was such a previleage that people are getting money for it, and seeing as i wasnt getting that money, then a space somewhere would be mine everyday...

anyway, cut a story short they give me the money and i can take the car when i need as long as my manager confirms it's for business reasons.

well in our place, we now have about 3 metres by 2.5 metres to park up to (on a sunny day) 15 bikes.

how does that work?

We have around 150 people and 20 odd spaces. Plenty more room for another 5 or 6 cars but apparently oxford county council want to cut road traffic to 10% of what it currently is so wouldnt give permission for more spaces.

Anyone who didnt get spaces got jack and just had to find alternative transport arrangements!

Fortunately they are happy for me to park the bike at the side under the CCTV camera...

I don't know what kind of business you work for Ronz, but most of them are covered under health and safety at work.

It might be worth an effort to ask to see the risk assessment for the parking of bikes in the old area, and also the reason for the change.

As far as I know, and I may be wrong, the company have to supply safe access to the premises. This includes walkways to/from the building. If you are parking in a dimly lit, slimy area then a full risk assessment should be carried out. The risks should then be limited as far as practicable.

Worth a shot asking for the above anyway.

Good luck with it all :f_crossed:

My opinion for what its worth is that I would probably use a car space and share it with another bike. And unless the company parking policy is written into your company handbook or your contract you cannot be given a final written warning. It is neither gross misconduct nor theft etc merely the safety of your property.Also the company cannot just add the parking clause to your contract without carrying out certain things like asking employees whether they have a problem adding it etc.
You may be asked to move your bike but then I would probably politely refuse and ask the reasons why? Your company has a duty of care to its employees for their safety and well being to also consider.

On the subject of parking I once told a traffic warden to "f-off". She took my plate and some other ride later told me she was going to report me to the police. Nothing happened but will keep my mouth shut in future!

Bikers had parked on pavement because bike bay was full.

Hope you come to a fair arrangement, however.

I'm lucky enough to have ample AND sheltered bike space at our office block in Bournemouth. Having said that, there's a nation-wide ongoing debate about bike parking, such as pay and displaying and drivers craftily putting their cars in Poole Tesco bike bay space!!!

I would also just use a car space if the bike bay is full.

I think if they provide you with a space you need to use it as most businesses don't supply places for bikes to park. I park on the hatchings for a disabled space because thats the only place for me to park and its been ok by my manager (who owns the building...)

But once that space is full then its really anywhere safe and sensible... double up in spaces.

It could well be that where the bikes where parked before has been deemed a safety risk. In which case its not necessarily the Facilities manager who has control over the matter...

It would be worth gettting the other bikers involved so this doesn't become a personal battle between you and them, but is rather a group of concerned like minded people raising awareness to an issue... if that makes sense.

I wouldnt even double up.

They cant fire 15 bikers, make things as aquard as possible, most of the cagers should see it your way.

Perhaps a petiion?

We did exactly this where I work because everywhere we parked bikes they kept telling us we couldn't park there. We did it to demonstrate that by parking in various places we chose, we were freeing up car parking spaces. It worked and there is now plenty of bike parking.




I'm shocked that you do that, and that you think it's ok, and that your manager does as well!
What do you think that space is for?
How would you like it if you were disabled and unable to get out of your car because some inconsiderate biker had parked on the cross-hatched space which is there so that disabled people are able to open the car door wide to get out, or if necessary to get into their wheelchair?
Blue badge holders (disabled) are up against this sort of thing all the time, and you seem to think it's ok!!!

This is the important bit. Separate the people from the problem. If it becomes a you vs them, they'll just pull rank and tell you where to go.

Also, if it's not in your staff handbook / conditions of employment, they shouldn't be able to discipline you on parking where you want...

[b]I'm shocked that you do that, and that you think it's ok, and that your manager does as well!
What do you think that space is for?
How would you like it if you were disabled and unable to get out of your car because some inconsiderate biker had parked on the cross-hatched space which is there so that disabled people are able to open the car door wide to get out, or if necessary to get into their wheelchair?
Blue badge holders (disabled) are up against this sort of thing all the time, and you seem to think it's ok

Sorry, let me explain first. I work in a business park where we have designated allocated parking for each company. My manager parks in the disabled space and I park in the hatchings. All visitors to our company have to book a meeting in advanced and request parking spaces, so we would know in advance if we were to be receiving a disabled driver, in which case I assure you the space would be freed up. As it is though on a daily basis there is no reason for anyone but myself or my manager to use this space.

I'm sorry I didn't explain this well and can completely understand your complaints.

On a related thing, There's a limited amount of Bike parking (although qite secure and a good amount by some standards) but someone at work believes she can park in the bike spaces because all the disabled bays are full.

I have a few snotty letters in the topbox that I stick on her window- basicly going on about how we have limited space already and we can't use any other bay, we don't use the disabled spaces- why should she park in ours.

According to the security guard on duty that evening, she wasn't ammused and wanted him to check the CCTV to find who put the note there.

If the provision of somewhere to park isnt in the conditions of employment then they are prefectly entitled to enforce any form of parking restrictions they want. They could quite easily clamp and/or tow for instance although they would need to sign the car park first.

i'd park in a car space.

...and probably put a disclock through one of her car's alloy wheels

But as Rebo says:



So that becomes an office discipline thing, and if it's not marked in your contract or your staff handbook (which would be referenced in your contract), or other such official terms of employment, they can't give you a final written warning. Sure, they can clamp/tow, though.

depends what they mean by final written warning. Whether its your final written warning before being fired, or before the bike being towed. I agree with Defiler though... if parking becomes a reason for dissmisal then it needs to be covered in the staff handbook or your contract.

Surely you could take it up with your manager/supervisor. They are there to help you... in theory...

That's just as inconsiderate as able bodied folks using the disabled spaces - but of course she may be desperate, it's a bit like bikes parking in car spaces to make a point, maybe you should get together to approach management for more disabled spaces? Again, we did that at work and got them (Eventually!)