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Mandatory Runzheimer program?

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Andrejhoward

Junior Member
Florida

My employer has started this program and will not accept my car. They have stated it is mandatory that I buy a new car no cheaper than $22,000, 5 years old or newer etc.

They have offered no alternatives and no lease options.

Telling us we need to take out a loan and buy a new car.

I can not afford this on my salary plus they mandate you buy very expensive insurance for this new car.

Is this legal?
 


sandyclaus

Senior Member
Florida

My employer has started this program and will not accept my car. They have stated it is mandatory that I buy a new car no cheaper than $22,000, 5 years old or newer etc.

They have offered no alternatives and no lease options.

Telling us we need to take out a loan and buy a new car.

I can not afford this on my salary plus they mandate you buy very expensive insurance for this new car.

Is this legal?
Who is this employer, and why do they require you to buy a new car? Of what importance is the vehicle you drive?
 

Andrejhoward

Junior Member
Medium sized business in the renewable resources industry. As an account manager I have to drive to clients workplaces maybe 40% travel but a lot of that is out of state so I fly and rent a car. I told them I prefer to keep my own vehicle and I asked for no reimbursement for instate or mid range travel (mileage or otherwise)

They said participation is mandatory you need to buy a new car worth 22,000 or more, get a very specific, expensive insurance and then they will give us a stipend of a certain amount of money per month.

I own a very reliable 2005 car. I don't want to take out a loan and put myself in debt. I asked about renting cars, leasing cars etc. I was told you need to buy a new car that adheres to the rules.
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
Can they force you to buy a new car and this insurance? No.

Can they refuse to hire or fire you if you refuse? Yes.

If you are fired for this then I would expect your chances of collecting unemployment to be excellent. Refusing to go into debt to purchase a new vehicle at your employer's request is not misconduct.

On a side note it is incredibly hypocritical of them to demand that employees purchase a new car. Assuming you have decent reliable transportation now that is not an embarrassment to the company, buying a new car is one of the worst things you could do for the environment.
 

commentator

Senior Member
Quote: and I asked for no reimbursement for instate or mid range travel (mileage or otherwise)

While you are still working, before they fire you, refusing to take mileage for your in state driving is dumber than dirt. Why would you, up till the time when you are fired for your refusal to buy a car (by the way, don't quit over this unless you have found another better job!) but anyhow, why would you voluntarily deny yourself mileage payments which they intend to give and are part of the job remibursement? They're obviously not going to let you exclude yourself from being a member of the fleet using your "clunker" car, but that does not mean you still do not have expenses from driving it or carrying the insurance in the meantime.

I once saw a supervisor try to deny mileage to an employee because they drove a motorcycle instead of a personal car. Didn't work, for unemployment purposes, anyway.

I'm not too sure they can't reasonably require a certain type of insurance to be carried by employee drivers, (is this collision insurance, high risk insurance?)but even so....

I am interested in whether or not they will go through with this, actually fire you if you refuse their order to trade up in type or age of vehicle.

What they'll strongly encourage you to do, of course, is to resign. That way they are not going to be on the hook for unemployment benefits because they have fired you for such a jerk frivilous reason. If your initial employment agreement, the conditions under which you began the job (whether or not you have a contract) was that you could use your own car, and there was no stipulation as to how old or what type of car this had to be, then you stand a good chance of drawing u.i. benefits while looking for another job if fired for this reason. Of course, in FL this is a princely sum of about $275 a week, so you're certainly in the big money, but it's better than being fired or resigning with nothing.
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
Unless of course it is a more efficient car.
That's not an "of course" by any means. You have to factor in all the materials and environment cost of creating the new vehicle vs. the effeciency savings of the new vehicle. If the net effect is that it was more damaging to the environment to make the new car then you haven't done the most envionmentally friendly thing.
 

Andrejhoward

Junior Member
I am going to HR tomorrow. So I'll post back and let you know. And as for the mileage I have a travel credit card right now. I was talking about going forward I don't mind paying for it myself as long as I don't have to get the car.

Thanks for the posts guys. I'll post back this evening.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
I'd guess the insurance is expensive because it has to cover business use of the car as well as personal use.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
I'd guess the insurance is expensive because it has to cover business use of the car as well as personal use.
If you google runzheimer plan it spells out the kind of insurance required. Its basically higher end full coverage with minimal deductibles.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
That's not an "of course" by any means. You have to factor in all the materials and environment cost of creating the new vehicle vs. the effeciency savings of the new vehicle. If the net effect is that it was more damaging to the environment to make the new car then you haven't done the most envionmentally friendly thing.
OP works in the renewable resources industry. It's an image thing. The employer wants to employee to drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle. They do NOT have to factor in a "net effect" of anything.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
Of course, they SHOULD consider these things if they actually care about the environment more than their image.
 

augiedog

Junior Member
Runzheimer

This isn't an answer as much as an additional comment and question about Runzheimer. I'm in a similar situation to the person asking about Runzheimer. I was recently told by my employer that I would have to go on this program. I was forced to get additional insurance to get into compliance with this program, costing me more money. After that, I've gotten multiple notices saying that I'm out of compliance because I have a 2008 Honda. (The program requires that members have a 2009 vehicle or newer.) I can not afford a new vehicle but my employer doesn't seem to care at all. Recently, I received a notice telling me that because I'm not in compliance, approximately $512 will be taxed. This past week, my employer placed that amount onto my paycheck for taxing purposes. I didn't receive this sum at this time since I'd already received it. It was put there to be taxed and, as a result, I was taxed nearly $200.
Is any of this legal?
 

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