employer wants GPS tracker installed to track me only....

[J4g3d]

Hi guys..

I need some advice, i work in the field on the road 12 hours a day.. i have in my area about 8 other collegues doing the same role.

 

Today my manager wants me to pop in the office tomorrow ao they can install gps tracking software on my handheld mobile they supplied me.

 

Can i refuse to have this installed on the basis that no other of my collegues has it. I will be the only one with it. Which i feel completely singled out here.

 

Secondly if i do have the tracker installed can i legally request the tracker information daily?

 

Thanks

[huggy41]

as the phone belongs to the company they can do with it as they wish, it's nice of them to tell you as it keeps people safe. but why are you so reluctant to have this done.

 

as for asking for a copy of the tracking info WHY ?

[J4g3d]

as the phone belongs to the company they can do with it as they wish, it's nice of them to tell you as it keeps people safe. but why are you so reluctant to have this done.

 

as for asking for a copy of the tracking info WHY ?

 

I dont mind being tracked but its the fact that it is just me being tracked nobody else.

 

And they will be holding information about my movements so due to the data protection i would of thought i should be allowed a copy of my movements for my record incase they try to fiddle it somehow.

[assisted blonde]

My company tried this ;last year, they did a trial period and in the end it was never roled out as it didnt really help a lot. They tried saying it was a safety reason, hmm that didnt wash as tracking the phone is not a lot of good as you may not be with it, it is a management tool to check where you are and when, however if you are doing your job there is no need to worry. TBH I didnt like the idea and tried all sorts of arguments against it but as was said above it is a company phone so they can do what they want.

[markl1987]

I dont mind being tracked but its the fact that it is just me being tracked nobody else.

 

You may just be the first to have it put in your phone?

[becky2585]

Unless the tracker is installed on every company phone, they're on dodgy ground!

 

I would ask if its happening across the board, or just to you. If you've worked there over a year, it's worth disputing it as there are all sorts of legal problems which come with trackers!

[assisted blonde]

If the company are doing a trial period they wouldnt put it on all phones just any one at random or as said above it may be that yours is just the first ask the question and see what they say.

[westfield]

Not at all.Company phone so they can do what they want and make up any old excuse However if you do,or are expected to have your phone with you outside work hours you need assurances that the data will be secure. For example you may not want your boss to know about the swingers club you go to or the affair you may be having with his wife lol

Unless the tracker is installed on every company phone, they're on dodgy ground!

 

I would ask if its happening across the board, or just to you. If you've worked there over a year, it's worth disputing it as there are all sorts of legal problems which come with trackers!

[Sidewinder]

Fortunately they cannot do what they want - whilst they can easily justify the desire to track company assets and to monitor for H&S or operational reasons, there are very important DPA considerations regarding an employee's right to privacy and the fact that the OP is the only one involved (at this stage), also introduces the possibility of a discriminatory act - not to mention the likelihood of a breach of trust!

[assisted blonde]

In a small team it may not be discriminatory to pick one person to trial the system but as I said earlier the OP needs to ask the question is it just him? is it a trial?

[RebeccaPidgeon]

as the phone belongs to the company they can do with it as they wish, it's nice of them to tell you as it keeps people safe. but why are you so reluctant to have this done.

 

as for asking for a copy of the tracking info WHY ?

I am not sure whether it is entirely healthy for a company to employ any Administrator who insists on treating other staff with disdain and contempt, requiring them to carry with them a Tracking Device - being Anal Retentive is never a nice position to be in.

[huggy41]

as this is such a touchy subject maybe the employer should put a tracker on the company vehicles and let the drivers know then he is safe guarding his assets .but the question should be why would 1 kick up a fuss.

[postggj]

These trackers we tried out with BT staff on their work phones. All they did were leave their phones in the van when their day finished as they were work phones. They kept their work and social life seperate. All BT did in the end was remove the trackers from the phones and installed them in the vans instead.

 

But the real reason for the trackers were to time how long each person was at a job. BT stated it took xyz to do xyz task, and if it took any longer, you had to explain why.

 

Time in motion, to make the working day more productive for the company, thats all

[*RainbowTears*]

Hi,

Do you have usage of the Company phone outside of work? OR is it just for when your actually at work?

 

If it's just for working hours then I would switch it off after your finished for the day & then just turn it back on again the next morning you start work. At least this way the Company are only tracking your whereabouts whilst your working.

 

If it's also for personal usage outside of work, then I would still suggest doing the above.

 

No way would I feel comfortable having all my movements tracked outside of work, it's an invasion of privacy surely?

[J4g3d]

Thanks for all the input so far i am surprised at the response i have had.

 

To answer some questions above

 

1.No it is not been mentioned it is a trial, It was mentioned when i was 9 minutes longer than i should of apparently been doing a certain task according to the company so for that reason they want to track me and only me.

2.I do not use the mobile outside of working hours.

3.There is trackers in SOME vans but there are more cars than vans in the company inc personal cars

 

As i say tracker is the norm, it can bring costs down in many ways. So tracking is not a problem with me as i work to the dot.

 

There is another issue which i do not like... in the morning and evening we are asked to drive 60 minutes for free to get to our first job wherever that may be. Are they allowed to track during this unpaid hour?

 

And am i within my right to ask for the stored tracking information bout me? i do not want to say the wrong thing, as i say i like to go by the book.