Staff: FIP Eligibility - Spouse becomes staff

[185]

Just heard a rather interesting one regarding the eligibility for FIP cards which is normally a one-year wait. Scratching my own head at this one...

-Employee 1 has been on the railway for years.

-Employee 1 has been married to Person 2 for years.

-Employee 1 and their spouse, Person 2 had to wait for one year for a FIP.

-After a year they are both eligible for FIP, No 1 as Staff, No 2 as Spouse.

-Then, Person 2 decides to open the gates of hell and join the railway.

-Person 2 has held a FIP, as a spouse for some years.

-Person.. sorry, now Employee 2 is told by RSTL to rip up the FIP card and... wait another year for FIP.

The union reckons RSTL are 'probably' wrong as the one-year wait has already passed, stating no 2 should at the very least retain spouse eligibility for the first year. RSTL claim the pass must be destroyed as it has been issued under a 'now deleted spouse profile'. It's an odd situation with both RSTL and the Union interpreting the wording of the entitlement rules seemingly correctly.

Anyone shed any light on this from previous decisions? Regardless, our wayward travellers are in no rush to get a FIP, in light of currently serving indefinite lockdown sentences in HMP Great Britannia at Boris' pleasure

 

[CW2]

I'm with RSTL on this one. Person 2 can hold EITHER employee travel facilities OR spouse travel facilities. It's not a mix-and-match option of choose the best bits to suit your circumstances. The only way Person 2 is eligible to retain an FIP card now is to give up his / her employee travel entitlement (UK and FIP) and re-register as a spouse.
In the current circumstances I'd tend to wait the year for FIP.

 

[30907]

Not being a spouse (nor staff for pushing 40 years!) this seems odd:
Spouse becomes entitled to FIP in their own right as Employee in due course.
However Spouse remains a spouse - this is a matter of fact, unless there is a specific definition "spouse who is not a railway employee".
Therefore they retain those privileges UFN.

 

[bunnahabhain]

I went through these circumstances and had to wait a year for my FIP.