There have been notices up in our firms car park for some time saying that vehicles are parked at the owners risk. Now everyone is being asked to sign a form accepting that the firm has no responsibility for the cars parked there, which obviously takes things a stage further.
The companys lawyers have evidently decided that warning signs in the car park may not be enough in themselves to deter potential claims against the firm in respect of damage caused to property. Generally speaking the owners of free car parks have a legal duty to take care of your vehicle only if there’s an agreement to that effect, and the warning notices in place make clear that there is no such agreement. If you don’t sign your employers could presumably stop you using the car park.