Employer wants my drivers license number

[BubbaJ]

My employer recently announced that everyone who drives their personal vehicles for company business has to supply their DL# to the HR dept. They have not explained why they suddenly need this information.

They already have my SSN#, what could be the possible reason to request the DL# and is it legal to request it? If its to check our driving records, that can be done with our names through our States online court search.

 

[MechEng2005]

If you're hesitant now, I suspect you will be very surprised when they ask for proof of your personal auto insurance. I was told I must supply this, along with a photocopy of my driver's license, if I wanted to get paid for any driving.

-- MechEng2005

 

[BubbaJ]

They haven't asked for that yet, but I suppose that is the next step. I'm irritated that they sent out a memo and expect us all to comply like mindless lemmings. We are engineers afterall.

 

[jgailla]

At the last place I worked, they did a license check on anyone who would be driving their personal car on company business.
I didn't have any problem with it. Most of my jobs have involved driving in some capacity, and I figure the employer has a right to know if he's hiring someone with a poor driving record who could be more prone to an accident.
The insurance company is probably mandating driving checks and proof of insurance on personal vehicles. If you are in an accident while on company time, your company will get sued.
I've only had to provide proof of insurance a couple of times, but it was either written company policy or orally communicated that I was required to have insurance to drive on company business.

 

[DRWeig]

Go with the flow, BubbaJ...

They probably got burned by someone along the way, but they can't tell you that.

One of my former employers found out the hard way that an employee (long-time senior engineer) had no driver's license. It had been revoked because of multiple DUI convictions.

While driving on company business, he crashed into a convenience store. Couple of poeple were hurt, but not seriously. In the end, a jury awarded millions to the victims and the store owner -- way more than the employee's liability insurance or assets could cover. The company was found at fault for allowing somebody with a revoked license to drive for business purposes.

I bet it's your company's insurance carrier that's requesting the info.

All but one place I've worked since then has xeroxed my driver's license, social security card, and engineering regestration as part of the orientation process.

An intrusion and a pain in the keister, but fairly necessary all the same.

Good on ya,

Goober Dave

 

[Lion06]

I had to give a copy of my driver's license, but only so that I can drive company vehicles. Why do they need your driver's license for you to drive your own car?

 

[SomptingGuy]

It has to be insurance company driven.

I don't know what the normal rules are in the USA, but over here (in the UK), most people will have their vehicles insured for "Social, domestic and pleasure, including travel to and from a regular place of work". If you have an accident when using your vehicle for company business, you aren't covered and your insurance company will wriggle out of it.

Maybe US insurance companies offer policies to companies that cover their employees when using their own vehicles for company business? If that's the case, driver details will be required.

- Steve

 

[byrdj]

If your company provides service to other companies, there could be contract terms your comapany provide an auto insurance policy for employees traveling to and from thier location.

ie, my company is suspose to carry 1M$ auto policy, even though the company has no vehcles

 

[MGXFP]

Personally I've supplied my DL#, driving record and proof of insurance for the reasons listed above.

If employees have a bad record, then the co. may not want him driving his car or a company car for strictly business reasons. One DUI in most small companies and that employee will probably be blacklisted from driving for business purposes. We really can't afford the insurance spike of employees with DUI/DWI's.

 

[zdas04]

It is insurance driven. I talked to my insurance carrier about it when my employer asked for a copy of my DL. He said that if you are driving your car on bona fide company work (not commuting) then your personal insurance is null and void (since it doesn't cover commercial use of the vehicle) and the company's liability kicks in. Many companies didn't know that and didn't have a POV rider so when the drunk employee runs through a convenience store it is all on the company without any coverage. As companies are learning about this twist, more and more are getting POV liability coverage (and the carriers are asking for copies of DL to prove you have one and it is valid, I even got a notice from some big-name company when my DL was about to expire).

One interesting thing that my Insurance guy told me was that my whole policy was null and void while on company business in my POV. The company has Liability, nobody has my collision/comprehensive so if I wreck a financed vehicle while on company business in my POV then not only will no one pay to repair the vehicle, I may be sued by my finance company for failing to provide insurance. He said that if I was going to do this very often then I needed a commercial policy which was more than a bit more expensive.

David

 

[FreddyNurk]

Zdas04, its slightly different, but you highlighted one of the reasons I never used to use my personal car for work purposes.

Most of the time over here the employer ignores the issue, or expects you to use your car and carry your own commercial insurance, so I solved that issue by not driving my personal car to work.

Its also a lot harder for them to demand that you ride a pushbike to site inspections and so on.

As for the driver's licence, an employer generally has an obligation to ensure that all employees who operate equipment are appropriately licenced, vehicles included. To not do so exposes them to great liability issues.

 

[SomptingGuy]

The situation where I work has evolved into an odd situation.

Company cars are offered to senior employees. They are commercially insured and those employees are supposed to use them on company business in preference to taxis (e.g. on airport runs). However, they are seen as a perk so the government has been taxing them more and more over the years, to the point where many people eligible prefer to take the cash equivalent and drive their own cars.

So now if you have taken the cash, you have to use your own car for company business (no taxis) and have to prove it's insured for business use.

- Steve

 

[BubbaJ]

I called my personal auto insurance agent. My policy covers me comp and collision even if I am driving my POV for business use. Apparently, in my state, this is common.
One interesting item they were recently made aware of is that if you suffer personal injury during a vehicle accident, even in your POV, during business use, it would be a worker's comp claim, not an injury claim thru your vehicle insurance.

 

[MechEng2005]

Also, the OP stated:

"If its to check our driving records, that can be done with our names through our States online court search."

That's fine if you hire Eziekiel Rumbanone. However, if the company hires John Smith, it might become a bit more time consuming when you have to start looking for more info than just the name (probably do-able with date of birth, but more work). It would also depend on exactly how accessible and "searchable" the State database is.

(Any similarity to names of actual persons might mean I'm reading your mind.)

-- MechEng2005

 

[weeeds]

Just read in a local paper that the company is liable for any consequences resulting from activities of a driver who does not posess a proper driver's license. If the employee is in an accident then the employer is held accountable and can be sued.

 

[HgTX]

If you're driving on company time, it's a reasonable request.

On the other hand, no employer of mine has ever seen my social security card. But I'm just perverse that way.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[cranky108]

I believe most employment applications ask if you have a valid drivers license.
And if I recall my insurance company asked to see my drivers license.

However I haven't been asked to see my school papers yet.

 

[cvg]

hgtx - if you ever filled out a W-4 form (which all employees are required to do), then your employer does have your social security number, they don't need to see your card...

 

[HgTX]

Yup. They have the number. Just not the card. Some have asked for it; I've refused. They have my passport for the I-9; they don't need the SS card unless they think I'm lying about my SSN, in which case I don't need to work for them. Like I said, just perversity on my part. It doesn't actually achieve anything.

But if I'm willing to show my driver's license to some 17-year-old supermarket cashier to buy wine, I shouldn't have a problem showing it to my employer.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[cranky108]

They never ask for my drivers license when I buy wine.

Also I don't believe a 17 year old can sell you wine. I think it requires someone over 21.

I have seen the supermarket girl ask the customer to scan the beer themselves, as she was unable to sell it to them. (Does that mean they sold it to themselves)?