HR
departments need to keep an eye on rising fuel prices to ensure employees are
not left out of pocket, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
has advised.
Earlier
this week, some petrol stations in central London were charging more than £1 a
litre, following an attack by Islamic militants on a residential compound in
Saudi Arabia that resulted in record oil prices.
There
is growing concern that al-Quaeda-inspired violence may target the oil supplies
from the world’s biggest oil exporter, causing further price hikes.
Mike
Emmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, said: “If there are several
weeks of high prices, it is going to hit people in the pocket. Hopefully, it
will be a short-term thing, but if it goes on, companies may have to consider
changing their mileage rates.”
Employees
that do the most mileage will be the first to knock on managers’ doors, but any
change in rates will have to be universal, Emmott said.
Next
Thursday’s planned tube strike could also cause headaches for employees as they
travel to work.
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HR
departments should make clear what options are open to them early in the week,
Emmott said. These could include working from home, taking a holiday or making
alternative transport arrangements.
