Expert explains your work-from-home rights as fuel costs rise amid Iran war

Here's what you can do

And even though the impact has been felt by many Brits, it will hit hardest those who actually drive to work.

If you are one of those who can’t go into the office because you can’t afford to fill up your car, what are your rights?

As consumer expert Martyn James explains: “While there are loads of rules governing when it’s too hot to drive to work, there are no laws in place to protect workers when petrol prices rise.”

“Your rights in this situation depend on the contract you have signed”, the expert explained.

You might want to check your contract to see if there is a provision for working from home.

You can speak to your HR team if this is the case, to see if you can increase the number of days you work from home to cut your costs.

If flexible working is one of your goals, then you can apply by making a statutory application.

This is something you can do by writing to your employer and discussing with them, and then they should make a decision within two months.

However, if you really can’t afford the drive to work then your company should help you to come up with an alternative, as many companies offer subsidised train passes or cycling to work schemes.

In the meantime, if you have a company car for work then you should ask your employer if it is prepared to contribute more towards the cost.

You could ask it to offer you other things to compensate for the loss of cash, if that’s not possible.

However, it is completely up to your employer whether it chooses to do this as there is no legal requirement.