Can Employers Use GPS To Track Employees?
The world is getting developed day by day. We can see a lot of new inventions being invented day by day. At this rate, man will enter a whole new era full of wondrous gadgets and devices. In this ocean of modern and sublime inventions, there is an invention of science called GPS. So, what is GPS? Let us have a quick look at it, and then we will be discussing further on it.
What is a GPS Tracking System?
GPS stands for “Global Positioning System”. A GPS Tracking System consists of portable devices that allow people to monitor and track their locations in an instant. The main thing behind it is the satellites in space that are mainly used to pinpoint a person’s position. No matter which place you are in, GPS will effectively tell you your location. Mostly, GPS Tracking System is used to find locations. Lost on the way? No problem! GPS will give the most accurate location on which you are currently and will also guide you to your destination. Now let us have an idea of how GPS Tracking System works.
Uses of GPS Tracking System:
GPS is a sublime invention of science. It makes our lives easy and it has many applications. It basically has a function to locate and track any vehicle, person, pet or any asset. It can also be used to calculate distance and speed. However, our main concern here is that can it be used by employers to track their employees? This is the question here. Let’s have a look at this.
Can Employers Use GPS To Track Employees?
Can employers track their employees? If we see this from a general perspective, then employers can track their employees easily and they would not have any difficulty in doing this. There are some simple ways in which they can do it. They can track their owned vehicles. There are many other ways in which employers can track their employees. But if we see this from another perspective that says, “Is it right for employers to track their employees?”. In this case, there are some rules that are to be taken care of. Employers have every right to track their employees but only in their working hours. But apart from the working hours, they must not keep track of their employees as it is a bad and immoral act.
How can employees be tracked?
We can see that employers have many ways to track and monitor their employees. However, we have collected some basic ways that are most frequently used. Let’s have a look at them:
Vehicle Tracking:
The most basic way for employers to track and monitor their employees is by tracking their vehicles. We can find many reliable tracking devices in the market that can be used for tracking of vehicles. These tracking devices are attached to any part of the employee’s vehicle and the rest is up to the device. It will successfully keep track of the employees. Therefore, the most basic way we can find to track our employees is by tracking their vehicles. But it has some flaws as well. Usually, the employees use their vehicles for their work. But this is only limited to roads. Just as the vehicle is parked at the destination, we cannot say where is the employee gone from there. He may have walked to somewhere else by that place. Therefore, we cannot have an accurate location of the employees by this method.
Smart Phone Tracking:
This is another way of tracking and monitoring of employees. SmartPhones are devices that are common in this world. We can see almost each and everyone today has a smartphone or at least a mobile phone. Mobile phones have been developed in a way that supports full-time GPS Tracking in them for the user. This system can be used by employers in order to track their employees. The employee’s device will be connected to the employee’s device and it will let the employer to continuously monitor his employee. It will not cause a problem like in the case of vehicles. Because it is clear that mobile phones can’t be left anywhere or they aren’t usually distanced from the user. Therefore, the best way we can see to track the employees is by Smart Phone Tracking. However, the tracking must have some rules as well. It must only be done in working hours. Otherwise, it becomes an illegal act for the employer.
Rules for Employee Tracking:
As far as the tracking of employees by employers is concerned, there are some rules and guidelines that must be kept in mind and followed. It is a very sensitive thing knowing that your employees are working hard and the company sales are also giving good results. So basically, all this depends on the employer and how he uses the tracking system.
Let’s have a look at some important rules that an employer must consider:
Written Policy Creation:
The company should develop a company policy based on best practices for GPS employee tracking, and the policy must be compulsory for everyone to follow. Then the employers or company heads should make policy by the consent of every employee. The rules should be presented in front of every employee and they must be given the right to freely give opinions about the company policy. In this way, employers can keep track of their employees with their consents. They must also take review the guidelines at least annually to ensure GPS tracking supports their business in useful ways and reflects any applicable changes in the law.
Tracking and the Law:
In this field of tracking and monitoring, the Government definitely has an important role. At the time of publication, federal laws dictate what the government can and can’t do with GPS tracking, but few laws prevent a business from monitoring employees with GPS. On the other hand, states have a patchwork of privacy laws that limit tracking.
