"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 09:10:58 on Sat, 24
Oct 2009, Buddenbrooks remarked:
An employee returned late one day from the States, expected in next day
early for a debrief meeting.
Is killed on way to work, believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Company now allows taxis from home to work after long haul.
This was not altruism, the company was being sued by the widow that the
company failed in their duty of care in requiring an employee to work
excessive hours
and drive while unfit to do so.

In which country(s) was the company, the widow and the lawsuit?

UK, it was settled out of court with the usual non-disclosure agreement.

In addition the company, which has several sites used to expect managers
to drive 4 hours to a site do a days work and then drive back as required.
They no longer allow this and pay for overnight accommodation. It had been
pointed out that they were expecting staff to drive longer hours than would
be permitted if they were driving as a job.

I do not think there has been any court cases, so no precedent, but rumor
had it that the company decided that they were of risk of
liability should an accident occur. But it was also part of the 'cut travel
costs' campaign and any travel has to be far more justified than in the
past.
8 hours driving followed by a 4 hour meeting is a very expensive meeting.