Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

by **birdbrain** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:50 pm

Yes, that is true but this isn't an issue with appearance or smell. It's an issue with the way I get to work which he has no say in.

As long as you are at work on time and knock off at the agreed time nobody has the right to say what mode of transport you should use. Your boss/supervisor sounds like a little toad who thinks he weilds a lot of power. Seen them many times over the years. If you are unhappy look for a job elsewhere. In the meantime document everything in case you need it for Fair Work.

by **BNA** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:55 pm

by **hannos** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:55 pm

birdbrain wrote:
Yes, that is true but this isn't an issue with appearance or smell. It's an issue with the way I get to work which he has no say in.

As long as you are at work on time and knock off at the agreed time nobody has the right to say what mode of transport you should use. Your boss/supervisor sounds like a little toad who thinks he weilds a lot of power. Seen them many times over the years. If you are unhappy look for a job elsewhere. In the meantime document everything in case you need it for Fair Work.

If your personal hygiene is somewhat lacking and it affects others, then your boss can request you do something about it.

by **il padrone** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:54 pm

Tell him to go suck eggs!

by **g-boaf** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:18 pm

Oxford wrote:http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-01/expert-warns-vigilance-against-workplace-psychopaths/4290094

They are often middle management too in my experience. I've seen them, but fortunately not worked for them. I worked in a position where I reported about their project results each day, which probably made me public enemy no. 1, but I reported the status without embellishment or bias...

In IT it can be harder to deal with this sort of thing like what the OP describes because so many IT staff are on contract and can be replaced really easily. That's workplace flexibility. Best bet is to find somewhere secure to store the bike and shower before you reach work, or do the routine in the loo with baby wipes as someone suggested earlier. Talc will also help out with drying you up quickly after the rest. And then use a quality cologne to finish the job.

by **birdbrain** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:45 pm

hannos wrote:
If your personal hygiene is somewhat lacking and it affects others, then your boss can request you do something about it.

Agree but that's not the reason his boss does'nt want him riding to work:
Yes, that is true but this isn't an issue with appearance or smell. It's an issue with the way I get to work which he has no say in.

by **matagi** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:18 pm

birdbrain wrote:
hannos wrote:
If your personal hygiene is somewhat lacking and it affects others, then your boss can request you do something about it.

Agree but that's not the reason his boss does'nt want him riding to work:
Yes, that is true but this isn't an issue with appearance or smell. It's an issue with the way I get to work which he has no say in.

Yes, but is this in fact the case? Maybe the boss was trying to avoid saying "you stink, do something about your personal hygiene" and so phrased his request as an objection to the mode of transport?

Unless we have a verbatim account of the conversation, we don't know. We have the OP's interpretation of the conversation - but that's not the same.

by **open roader** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:58 pm

I've spent the last 3 days trawling the web for an article written about 3 years ago about similar case in Melbourne.

A large legal practice principle placed veto over one junior lawyer disallowing him to ride a bicycle to work. The boss simply saw cycling to work as an unfit method of transport for his emplyees( the wording of the objection was very amusing - I wish I could find the article), there was no empolyee hygene issue involved nor was there a place to store said bike involved, the objection was purely based upon snobbery. The case was heard in VCAT who found in favour of the junior lawyer..........who probably will never make it to partner status in that practice............

by **zero** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:21 pm

open roader wrote:I've spent the last 3 days trawling the web for an article written about 3 years ago about similar case in Melbourne.

A large legal practice principle placed veto over one junior lawyer disallowing him to ride a bicycle to work. The boss simply saw cycling to work as an unfit method of transport for his emplyees( the wording of the objection was very amusing - I wish I could find the article), there was no empolyee hygene issue involved nor was there a place to store said bike involved, the objection was purely based upon snobbery. The case was heard in VCAT who found in favour of the junior lawyer..........who probably will never make it to partner status in that practice............

Not all law firms are set up that way anyway, supervisors aren't always partners and in any case, do you take a new partner that loses cases, or wins cases

by **diggler** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:59 pm

You have a responsibility to be neat and not smelly. If you can achieve this by shower or otherwise, the boss has no business in how you got there. If your bike is parked outside, how would he know how you got there anyway?

By the way, I heard a story of a stockbroker who was allegedly sacked for coming to work with a Daily Telegraph instead of the Financial Review.

by **matagi** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:43 pm

diggler wrote:By the way, I heard a story of a stockbroker who was allegedly sacked for coming to work with a Daily Telegraph instead of the Financial Review.

Sensible decision - he was probably a 2GB listener as well.

by **whichway** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:51 am

From the Qld Workcover site -

"If you are injured on a journey between your home and place of employment, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. This may include if you:

are injured while on a journey between your home or workplace and a place of trade or training, which you were required to do as part of your work
have an existing WorkCover claim, which required you to go from your home or workplace to a place for medical or rehabilitation treatment when you experienced an accident that caused further injury
were travelling between employment with one employer and employment with another employer.
The Act states that the worker needs to have started the journey without any significant delays or deviations. If an injury occurs within your home or the boundary of your home, you have not begun your journey and therefore will not be entitled to compensation."

So an employer in QLD may be concerned about the possibility of a claim due to injuries while riding the bike to work, and was just doing their best to reduce the risk of a policy hike.

Also, I seem to recall a cyclist mate of mine who worked for a very large mining and construction company which kept all sorts of safety stats saying that injuries while riding to work were one of the most significant safety issues for employees of that company (compared to on the job safety issues).

by **whichway** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:13 pm

Thanks for clearing that up

by **bychosis** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:31 pm

not the case in NSW any more. Journey claims have been removed from WorkCover.

by **jasonc** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:43 am

bychosis wrote:not the case in NSW any more. Journey claims have been removed from WorkCover.

So OP is in NSW. Therefore, as has been suggested above, ask for the request (to not ride to work) in writing!

by **AndyTheMan** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:41 pm

Did the op send an email to all other employees to encourage their involvement in 'ride to work day' which was last week?

Could have been priceless if a half dozen staff decided to ride that day...