Employees split over caring for company cars

Almost a quarter of employees (24%) believe that the financial risk associated with switching to a personal vehicle would be the worst thing about losing their right to a company car.

According to Risk and reward 2007 by fleet provider Alphabet, a further 20% felt that the hassle of maintaining their own vehicle would be the worst aspect of no longer being entitled to a company car. Just 7% feared that they would lose the peace of mind that comes from having a company-owned car, while 3% said that not having any transport would be the worst issue.

A fifth of company car drivers, however, do not care for these cars in the same way that they would their own, which could have health and safety implications for employers if the vehicles are not adequately maintained. Encouragingly, more than a third (37%) admit that they care for their company car as if it is their own.

A further 11%, meanwhile, stated that they had no strong feelings about how they cared for their company car.

As far as vehicle ownership is concerned, 24% of respondents don't view their company car as being owned by their employer, and instead strongly feel as if they own it. A greater number (27%) of employees strongly agree that because their car is company-owned they feel no real sense of ownership.