Clifford Chance chief berates staff for taxi abuse
Share
Clifford Chance London managing partner Jeremy Sandelson has emailed staff to warn them about escalating taxi costs as the firm looks to tighten its belt during the economic downturn.
The firm will now monitor the use of taxis and will re-examine its taxi expenses policy if costs do not decrease.
Sandelson sent a firmwide email to staff yesterday (25 February), which read: "In the light of the difficult economic climate, of which I am sure you are all aware, we are reviewing our expenditure on taxis in the London office, as this has risen to unacceptable levels."
The firm's current taxi policy is that taxis can only be taken if working legitimately on firm business after 9pm in winter and 10pm in summer. Taxi costs should never exceed £60 but, according to Sandelson, taxis are often kept waiting outside the office for long periods with the meters running.
The new HMRC tax guidance on taxis was also referred to by Sandelson, as effectively almost doubling the cost of staff taxis home to the firm, as reported on 11 January.
As Sandelson wrote: "A fare of £60 can cost the firm £100."
He continued to complain about staff abusing the taxi system: "Prudent management of all our costs is of course important at all times and especially so in quieter times.
"Reports have come to my attention of people going out socialising and then returning to the office to get a taxi or simply hanging around the office until they can get a 'free' taxi home."
Sandelson was unavailable for comment but a firm spokesperson said: "All he was doing was reminding people of the taxi policy."
View results 10 per page | 20 per page
Readers' comments (14)
Anonymous | 26-Feb-2008 5:00 pm
taxi abuse
Serves them right for moving to such a stupid location.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 26-Feb-2008 5:30 pm
taxis
£60 max? staff working out in the sticks should presumably leave the office earlier.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 26-Feb-2008 5:53 pm
Clifford Chance
They appear to be struggling. Will they be the first to shed associates?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 26-Feb-2008 8:28 pm
taxi abuse
cutting employees perks for working late, fantastic way to keep motivation high
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 9:37 am
Taxi abuse
I don't think messages like this can be very good for staff morale. I mean the policy itself seems pretty mean (at a couple of firms I know its 8pm in Winter - it gets dark by this time, and 9pm in summer) MC Firms ask a big commitment from their staff in terms of time (when I last read my contract it said my hours were 9 to 5.30 - fat chance!) and whilst clamping down on abuse is understood they should bear in mind how safe (or unsafe) it is to travel to even the most affluent parts of London (highlighted by the murder of Tom Rhys Pryce) and agree that their location is not the most convenient.
Aren't most cabs chargeable to a client anyways?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 12:08 pm
Taxi cost cover ratio
A thought - what is the "Taxi cost to charge out rate for even the most junior of associates at CC "??? I would be extremely surprised if even in the slowest of economic climates CC can't "afford" to send associates working late home in a taxi...
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 1:15 pm
cost of taxi
and we though such restrictions were imposed only in India!! Perhaps it is time to encourage 'working from home' policy .... having said that will it work for lawyers?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 2:00 pm
Excess is in no-one's interests
I think some of the comments are a little unfair and naive. The Lawyer may be surprised to learn that it is not uncommon behaviour for lawyers to loiter for half an hour or so after finishing work to be able to take a taxi home at 9pm or to go for dinner out of the office and then come back and send an email to justify a taxi home. Most lawyers will know someone who has done this, whichever city firm they work for. Most taxis these days are not actually billed to clients, the expense is absorbed by the firm. I am not in anyway advocating removing the taxi benefit, I do not view it as a perk but as necessary for personal safety if leaving work late at night.
However, in the current climate 'excess' is not in anyone's interests, obviously not the partners as they don't want to see PEP (or whatever the current measure is) decrease and associates shouldn't want this either as cutting excessive taxi costs is surely preferable to cutting associates or other office support.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 3:02 pm
Go home already!
One has to wonder why so many people are staying late if there is no work for them to do. Perhaps Sandelson's comments would have had been more popular if he had framed them in terms of encouraging staff to strike a sensible balance between work and life and get into the habit of going home at a reasonable time, subject to individual work requirements?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 27-Feb-2008 9:53 pm
latest from CC
The story continues - here is an extract from an e-mail sent by IT operations to everyone at CC today explaining the process for printer
upgrades: "...
As part of the business' environmental campaign, over the coming weeks all MFDs will be set to double sided output and the colour devices to B&W as defaults. Both single sided and colour printing/copying options remain available when required, but must be selected from the menus. This will reduce our carbon footprint and be more cost effective, with the aim to lower our paper usage and ensure only essential documents are produced in colour... " Good policy in fairness but if one puts 2 and 2 together... What next?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment