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Driving on Auxiliary (SPF) Business
There are many scenarios in which an Auxiliary (SPF) Employee may need to drive on auxiliary business. In order to ensure safety, minimize risks, and comply with relevant policy and best practices, SPF employees must be formally authorized to drive on auxiliary business. The general process and requirements for authorization are described below.
*Note - SPF's current procedures are based on organizational risk management practices and may differ from Stateside employee requirements. Many of the best practices and safe driving guidance available and applicable to University employee Vehicle Use are still helpful to review.
Vehicle Accident to Report?
Review this Quick Reference Guide for a summary of the steps to complete when reporting a vehicle incident or accident which occurred while driving on auxiliary business. Additional Workers’ Compensation guidance can be found here if any auxiliary employees or registered volunteers are injured as part of the vehicle accident.
If a position is expected to include driving on auxiliary business, including travel for which reimbursement may be claimed, the driving requirement should be identified in the vacancy announcement and recruitment materials.
Positions identified as having driving responsibilities will:
- Undergo a DMV Driver Record Check as part of the pre-employment background screening process.
- Be assigned Defensive Driver Training through CSU Learn upon hire.
Including driving requirements in the recruitment process helps ensure that employees are appropriately screened and trained before engaging in auxiliary-related travel.
Existing SPF employees, as well as individuals who were not hired through a formal recruitment process (e.g., Student Assistants and Category D - Occasional Employees), may have responsibilities that require driving on auxiliary business.
Employees who anticipate driving on auxiliary business are encouraged to:
- Self-identify their driving responsibilities to their supervisor or Principal Investigator (PI).
- Complete Defensive Driver Training through CSU Learn.
At this time, SPF is not requiring mandatory DMV Driver Record Checks for existing employees unless the position was identified as having driving responsibilities during the recruitment process.
Although DMV Driver Record Checks are not currently required for existing employees, they are available upon request. Principal Investigators or supervisors may request a DMV Driver Record Check for an SPF employee when appropriate, particularly before travel, fieldwork, or other activities involving auxiliary-related driving.
Defensive Driver Training through CSU Learn is available to all SPF employees upon request. SPF strongly encourages employees who drive on auxiliary business to complete this training as a best practice, even if driving duties are infrequent, intermittent, or occasional.
Frequently Asked Questions
While not currently required, SPF strongly encourages all employees who drive on auxiliary business to complete Defensive Driver Training through CSU Learn.
Yes. DMV Driver Record Checks are available upon request and may be requested by a PI or supervisor when driving is anticipated as part of auxiliary-related activities.
No. At this time, mandatory DMV Driver Record Checks are only being conducted for positions that were identified as having driving responsibilities during the recruitment and hiring process. SPF may expand or modify these requirements in the future as policies evolve.
Facilities Management coordinates the rental of certain research fleet vehicles. Before picking up vehicle keys, all faculty, staff, and student drivers must pass a DMV background check and successfully complete the Defensive Driver Training course in CSULearn. Both requirements must be completed and approved before a vehicle can be issued.