Company cars change of contract ???

[drugrin]

Can someone help me please. I am in full employment and I have the use of a company car. I had the choice of car and picked a 27k top of the range vw touran. My company has just announced that when the lease is at its end. They will be now providing me with a ford focus. My question is, can they do this as this is clearly a lower price and spec car. Is it a infringement of my contract of employment. It only state in my contract that a company car will be provided. Are they disadvantaging me by doing this? There was no consultation on this matter I only found out as did all my other colleagues by email……… please help as I cant find anything on the net regarding this matter

[factor-fiction]

If the vehicle is provided for business use only then it is up to the employer to provide whatever it feels appropriate. If it was also offered as a perk then you could argue that your benefits package will be reduced, so it's worth asking them to compensate you- they may agree to do so, but given the terms of your contract they may say no.

[drugrin]

Thanks for the answer Factor.
The car is for business and personal use and pay tax to HMRC for this. I don’t want to ask to be compensated unless I have some kind of lever or legal argument. My company always says that the door is always open…… they fail to say the next door you walk through is marked EXIT !!!!!

[buildersmate]

You could try arguing that the quality of car you have is an 'implied term' of your employment contract.
See here.
http://www.businessli...&r.s=m&type=RESOURCES
In this case it would be a 'custom and practice' scenario - you have enjoyed this quality of car for x years and now they are changing it.
Note though that an employer can change terms of an employee's contract - provided it does it through consultation - which should include explaining the reason for needing to make the change, and provided it gives you at least the contractual notice period (it sounds like it would be doing this as you say it applies at the end of the lease).
Even so, there may be some room to compromise on some salary compensation for the loss - you can but ask.

[Nini74]

i would leave it if i were you - don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers. they've clearly made the decision from an economic point of view, and it appears the contract doesn't specify that a 27k top of the range car is appropriate.