Employer's GPS Tracking on Personal Car
Discussion
Inkyfingers said:
I was discussing this subject with somebody the other day. It seems to me like a policy to try and catch a small number of people on the fiddle at the expense of making all the honest employees feel like the company doesn't trust them.
I think if it was a company car I could understand it, but putting a tracker on a personal car is a step too far. Next they'll be tracking staff using their mobile phones and installing cameras in people's home offices to make sure they are not taking too many tea breaks when working from home.
or to protect he company from a 'Gary Hart' Scenario .... I think if it was a company car I could understand it, but putting a tracker on a personal car is a step too far. Next they'll be tracking staff using their mobile phones and installing cameras in people's home offices to make sure they are not taking too many tea breaks when working from home.
PUWER and Corporate Manslaughter legislation may also come into play
also the fact is these 'personal cars' appear to be funded by the employer as an allowance rather than claim back @45p/ mile
if you don't want it on your personal car you take the compnay car and /or take your losses on the chin and stop being a spoilt little child ...
Use Psychology said:
so how would people feel if their employer employed someone to follow them around at all times during working hours to see where they're going?
I couldn't care less about working hours. They can do what they want. During working hours, I'm their b
h. The question is how would they feel if their employer employed someone to follow them out of working hours? That's what's happening here.swerni said:
The two are clearly linked as the company also stipulates (in this case) that the car has to be less than 5 years old. Quite often companies will impose terms on what is acceptable (but not always).
Fair enough. So would these terms form part of the contract of employment? If not, surely revoking the OP's car allowance would form a contact change and, therefore, could not be forced through without agreement.I certainly wouldn't stand for this. Not a chance.
wiggy001 said:
Fair enough. So would these terms form part of the contract of employment? If not, surely revoking the OP's car allowance would form a contact change and, therefore, could not be forced through without agreement.
I certainly wouldn't stand for this. Not a chance.
Employers can vary the terms and conditions of your contract of employment, usually by giving notice.I certainly wouldn't stand for this. Not a chance.
If you continue to work after the change comes into effect then you are deemed to have accepted it.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by resigning.
NoComment said:
...I could press the privacy button when starting my car and arrive at my destination however as soon as my ignition is switched off I'm visible again as I can't press the button until the ignition is turned on.
Your employer needs to justify the collection and use of data regarding your whereabouts. If the above is correct ask them to justify why they need to know where your vehicle is between turning on the ignition and pressing the privacy button when you are not using the vehicle for work purposes.swerni said:
It's all down to what the contract of employment says.
Personally I couldn't give a toss if work wanted to fit a GPS to my car.
Other than on a point of principle, I'm not sure why anyone else would.
I think it depends on what they're tracking and how they use it.Personally I couldn't give a toss if work wanted to fit a GPS to my car.
Other than on a point of principle, I'm not sure why anyone else would.
Based on what the OP has already said, they've got the capability to track vehicles in real time, as they're able to see who is the nearest engineer to send to a job.
I've got two cars. I don't use the Shogun for business travel if I've got even a remote chance of having colleagues/customers in it, as it's a comfortable family s
thole.Whether I would mind my employer seeing my live progress in the V8 would depend on whether the outcome of that would be having to reduce my speed on empty motorways and dual-carriageways by 30% or so.
Kermit power said:
Whether I would mind my employer seeing my live progress in the V8 would depend on whether the outcome of that would be having to reduce my speed on empty motorways and dual-carriageways by 30% or so.
And cease and desist from any hard acceleration, cornering or braking.wiggy001 said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
During working hours, I'm their bh.
I hope you don't really believe that.h.swerni said:
It's all down to what the contract of employment says.
Personally I couldn't give a toss if work wanted to fit a GPS to my car.
Other than on a point of principle, I'm not sure why anyone else would.
Fair enough, I understand that not everyone would be bothered by this, but surely you can see why some would, and not just on a point of principle.Personally I couldn't give a toss if work wanted to fit a GPS to my car.
Other than on a point of principle, I'm not sure why anyone else would.
For me:
1. I don't tell any strangers my whereabouts continually, so why should my employer have this information?
2. I drive in a manner I deem to be safe at all times. My employer may disagree and use this information for disciplinary proceedings.
3. I share our two cars with my wife - my employer cannot expect to track both of our cars, nor track my wife when she is in mine.
4. There are no guarantees about how this data will be used. No tinfoil hat sarcasm please, this is a fact.
I think the fact that is effectively cannot be completely turned off in my own time is the final reason that I would never allow it to happen.
ralphrj said:
Employers can vary the terms and conditions of your contract of employment, usually by giving notice.
Only by mutual agreement. A contract is an agreement between 2 or more parties. Once ratified, it can only be changed by mutual agreement, or if the law changes to make part or all of the existing contract illegal.ralphrj said:
Employers can vary the terms and conditions of your contract of employment, usually by giving notice.
If you continue to work after the change comes into effect then you are deemed to have accepted it.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by resigning.
That's not strictly true though, is it?If you continue to work after the change comes into effect then you are deemed to have accepted it.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by resigning.
The truth is I'm not bothered about my employer knowing my whereabouts during working hours as I'm at work. I object to my employer and TomTom knowing where I am or another member of my family is outside of my work hours.
I'm certain I'll need to change my driving style to accommodate the introduction of this as I tend to sit on motorways (weather and traffic permitting of course) at around 95 - 100 leptons.
A simple power switch would save a lot of hassle as many of you have pointed out and I think this is the course of action I'll follow when the time comes.
Thanks for everyone's input
NoComment
I'm certain I'll need to change my driving style to accommodate the introduction of this as I tend to sit on motorways (weather and traffic permitting of course) at around 95 - 100 leptons.
A simple power switch would save a lot of hassle as many of you have pointed out and I think this is the course of action I'll follow when the time comes.
Thanks for everyone's input
NoComment
TwigtheWonderkid said:
ralphrj said:
Employers can vary the terms and conditions of your contract of employment, usually by giving notice.
Only by mutual agreement. A contract is an agreement between 2 or more parties. Once ratified, it can only be changed by mutual agreement, or if the law changes to make part or all of the existing contract illegal.If the employer serves notice and the employee continues to work after the change has been made then they are deemed to have accepted the change (i.e. there is mutual agreement).
wiggy001 said:
ralphrj said:
Employers can vary the terms and conditions of your contract of employment, usually by giving notice.
If you continue to work after the change comes into effect then you are deemed to have accepted it.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by resigning.
That's not strictly true though, is it?If you continue to work after the change comes into effect then you are deemed to have accepted it.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by resigning.
The OP can reject the proposed change to the terms and conditions by refusing to accept the revised contract then the OP's employer can terminate his contract (with notice) and offer him a new one with the new terms and conditions which the OP can then choose to reject. The OP will no longer be employed.
ralphrj said:
I think the rest of my post that you didn't quote covered that.
If the employer serves notice and the employee continues to work after the change has been made then they are deemed to have accepted the change (i.e. there is mutual agreement).
But you suggested that the only way to not agree with the change was to resign, which isn't actually the case.If the employer serves notice and the employee continues to work after the change has been made then they are deemed to have accepted the change (i.e. there is mutual agreement).
wiggy001 said:
But you suggested that the only way to not agree with the change was to resign, which isn't actually the case.
I was simplifying the action the OP would have to take (rejection of revised contract, notice of termination and offer of new contract rejected etc) whilst at the same time trying to make it clear to the OP that, contrary to advice given by others, he can't just say "I haven't agreed to this" and carry on.swerni said:
If I were a betting man I would say the only data stored would be the start and finish if each journey and maybe the duration.
From that they can only calculate the average speed, which lets face it, is no use to anyone.
I think the average in my Camaro over the last year is about 30mph.
The volume of data created by tracking every turn and speed for 1500 vehicles would be immense.
I doubt that any company would want to make that kind of investment as there would be no return.
They also aren't going to analyse the data they do have.
The best they can hope for is working out patterns in travel and making job scheduling for the engineers more efficient.
The only reason for them ever to look at the data is if they have a specific reason to.
Or do the employ a mass team of analysts to crawl over every aspect of it.
I sell/market vehicle tracking and all as I can say is that you'd be very surprised!From that they can only calculate the average speed, which lets face it, is no use to anyone.
I think the average in my Camaro over the last year is about 30mph.
The volume of data created by tracking every turn and speed for 1500 vehicles would be immense.
I doubt that any company would want to make that kind of investment as there would be no return.
They also aren't going to analyse the data they do have.
The best they can hope for is working out patterns in travel and making job scheduling for the engineers more efficient.
The only reason for them ever to look at the data is if they have a specific reason to.
Or do the employ a mass team of analysts to crawl over every aspect of it.
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