GPS clocking in and out

[scottyp123]

What is the score with these apps that clock you in and out on site? Me and my partner are a 2 man band of electricians, we are both self employed and don't really do much site work, only private stuff really. We are subbing to another electrician who in turn is subbing to a main contractor.

So we aren't employed by the main contractor and aren't even subbying to them but today the site manager told me and my partner that we had to put an app on our phones and sign in and out when we are on site, Uattend I think its called. Personally I told him to fk right off and it was nothing to do with anyone what time I decided to get there or go home or whatever but if I don't they won't let us on site which I'm not fussed about one way or another really. I said if he supplied me with a company phone then I might just consider it but the phone stays on site when I leave.

But I've had a slight change of tack and I've downloaded a location spoofer and I'm going to clock in from a different world city every morning, just to point out to them that the expensive package they've signed up to is basically useless and they've now potentially got 50 employees who they have basically called untrustworthy running round and they won't really have a clue where any of them are.

[Mr Pointy]

Did you ask him what it's for? Maybe it's part of the H&S administration so they know instantly who is on site if there's an emergency?

[cossy400]

Mr Pointy said:

Did you ask him what it's for? Maybe it's part of the H&S administration so they know instantly who is on site if there's an emergency?

Id say this even more so with the dreaded covid.

OP are you a spy? is that why you didnt want download an app.

[GT03ROB]

Mr Pointy said:

Did you ask him what it's for? Maybe it's part of the H&S administration so they know instantly who is on site if there's an emergency?

For these purposes you normally use RFID tags.

OP if you are not paid hourly & they can't give you a sound safety reason, tell them to FO

[Mr Pointy]

GT03ROB said:

Mr Pointy said:

Did you ask him what it's for? Maybe it's part of the H&S administration so they know instantly who is on site if there's an emergency?

For these purposes you normally use RFID tags.

OP if you are not paid hourly & they can't give you a sound safety reason, tell them to FO

The main contractor would just ban them from site. it's like CSCS cards. Don't have one? FRO.

[GT03ROB]

Mr Pointy said:

GT03ROB said:

Mr Pointy said:

Did you ask him what it's for? Maybe it's part of the H&S administration so they know instantly who is on site if there's an emergency?

For these purposes you normally use RFID tags.

OP if you are not paid hourly & they can't give you a sound safety reason, tell them to FO

The main contractor would just ban them from site. it's like CSCS cards. Don't have one? FRO.

Main contractor is being a twit then. Relying on somebodies mobile phone is a daft idea.

[xjay1337]

I recall a few years ago there was a similar thread.

Everyone (generally) was against the idea.

I think it's stupid to have a GPS check in, it's purely so your "employer" can see where you are, but as people have alluded to, it's so easily faked it's unbelievable.

I would refuse on a personal phone.

On a company provided mobile phone, I agree with the "phone stays on site" in your line of work.

Technology overlord is not nice.

[bitchstewie]

scottyp123 said:

But I've had a slight change of tack and I've downloaded a location spoofer and I'm going to clock in from a different world city every morning, just to point out to them that the expensive package they've signed up to is basically useless and they've now potentially got 50 employees who they have basically called untrustworthy running round and they won't really have a clue where any of them are.

I'm sure this will go down really well with them.

Seriously why would you do it?

[scottyp123]

Everyone signs a paper register anyway when they walk through the door so they have a record of who is on site anyway. If I was a direct employee then I could maybe understand it a little if it was a company supplied phone but that would certainly get switched off anyway the second I left but we are a couple of self employed lads on a price for the job.

One of the main reasons I went self employed in the first place was so I could do whatever the fk I wanted when I wanted and it was awful when I was employed by someone years ago when I couldn't go home at 3PM if I felt like it. I wouldn't mind but even if I did use the app I would still turn up and go when I wanted and if they asked why I left at 3 then the answer would still be because I can so it wont change anything anyway.

I do find it amazing that just because someone gives you a bit of money for some hard work that they then somehow think they own you where as more than not you are the one doing them a favour by turning up and doing the work right first time. Today for example I spent most of the day in a loft pulling in cables and it must have been 50 degrees up there, try finding someone else that will not only be daft enough to go up there but also have the brains to do the job right first time.

Just as a footnote I will say its great being self employed, you might not get rich but you have the luxury of telling anyone and everyone to fk right off without any sort of comeback, you can never get sacked and if the job comes to an end you simply go to the next one, usually someone who is more appreciative of your hard work. Oh and you can sit in your sun soaked garden at 2PM in the middle of the week if its been a hard morning.

[scottyp123]

bhstewie said:

scottyp123 said:

But I've had a slight change of tack and I've downloaded a location spoofer and I'm going to clock in from a different world city every morning, just to point out to them that the expensive package they've signed up to is basically useless and they've now potentially got 50 employees who they have basically called untrustworthy running round and they won't really have a clue where any of them are.

I'm sure this will go down really well with them.

Seriously why would you do it?

Because I don't care and its fun. If I was a tt I'd probably go down the health and safety accident route.

[bitchstewie]

scottyp123 said:

Because I don't care and its fun. If I was a tt I'd probably go down the health and safety accident route.

You sound adorable.

Best of luck with it.

[xjay1337]

If you want to be a proper -

On the original contract presented when you were subbed in , is there any mention about location tracking or "clocking in" on the contract?
Any mention about work provided company mobiles?

If not, then I would suspect they can't get rid of you for not agreeing to a mid term contract adjustment, certainly without paying out your contract.

[Mr Pointy]

I don't think you understand the first thing about running H&S on a site & the implications it can have. If you don't want the work don't do it, not act like a complete tosser just because you don't like the procedures in place.

[xjay1337]

Mr Pointy said:

I don't think you understand the first thing about running H&S on a site & the implications it can have. If you don't want the work don't do it, not act like a complete tosser just because you don't like the procedures in place.

That's not the issue though. They have a sign in/out book or tablet or whatever.
This is to location track your sign in/out. Nothing to do with H&S , if anything it's negative because if you're working at height or in a tight space you might not leave your mobile in your pocket, it might go in a locker, or bag of tools. If there is a fire, you will leave that bag or locker and run away.

[scottyp123]

Mr Pointy said:

I don't think you understand the first thing about running H&S on a site & the implications it can have. If you don't want the work don't do it, not act like a complete tosser just because you don't like the procedures in place.

What procedures? we occasionally do a bit of work for another electrician when he is a bit stuck, this time he asked if we could take over some site work he was doing for a couple of weeks as he was busy elsewhere, we agreed and apart from a 5 minute sit down with the site manager going through the usual H&S drone stuff we got on with it, no contracts or agreements or anything like that. Next thing the main contractor (who I don't even know or care who they are) are trying to get us to install tracking apps on our phones like they own us.

Like I said in an earlier post this is the reason I won't generally tolerate site work, its full of jumped up middle management pricks thinking they are important.

[OldGermanHeaps]

Company phone or do one.

[xx99xx]

scottyp123 said:

What is the score with these apps that clock you in and out on site? Me and my partner are a 2 man band of electricians, we are both self employed and don't really do much site work, only private stuff really. We are subbing to another electrician who in turn is subbing to a main contractor.

So we aren't employed by the main contractor and aren't even subbying to them but today the site manager told me and my partner that we had to put an app on our phones and sign in and out when we are on site, Uattend I think its called. Personally I told him to fk right off and it was nothing to do with anyone what time I decided to get there or go home or whatever but if I don't they won't let us on site which I'm not fussed about one way or another really. I said if he supplied me with a company phone then I might just consider it but the phone stays on site when I leave.

But I've had a slight change of tack and I've downloaded a location spoofer and I'm going to clock in from a different world city every morning, just to point out to them that the expensive package they've signed up to is basically useless and they've now potentially got 50 employees who they have basically called untrustworthy running round and they won't really have a clue where any of them are.

You start by saying you actually told the site manager to fk right off (how did that go down btw?) because it's no-ones business what time you arrive and leave.

Then you say you've installed a location spoofer to clock in from different locations, even though you'll actually be on site.

So is your issue that A) you want to start and finish when you like or B) that you don't want a third party tracking app on your phone? Installing that app doesn't solve A but it appears to be a big deal for you.

H&S issues aside, like it or not you're working for the main contractor as they're paying the guys who are paying you. The main contractor is responsible for getting the job done right, on time and on spec so I see no issue with them wanting you to follow their rules.

[scottyp123]

xx99xx said:

You start by saying you actually told the site manager to fk right off (how did that go down btw?) because it's no-ones business what time you arrive and leave.

Then you say you've installed a location spoofer to clock in from different locations, even though you'll actually be on site.

So is your issue that A) you want to start and finish when you like or B) that you don't want a third party tracking app on your phone? Installing that app doesn't solve A but it appears to be a big deal for you.

H&S issues aside, like it or not you're working for the main contractor as they're paying the guys who are paying you. The main contractor is responsible for getting the job done right, on time and on spec so I see no issue with them wanting you to follow their rules.

I would say its both A and B and its not that I wan't to start and finish when I wan't, its that I can start and finish when I wan't and no app or anything else will ever change that. And I certainly don't want a 3rd party tracking app on my own personal paid for by me phone, why would anyone?

As for your last bit, rules, everyone loves rules and loves to follow them in the hope that one day they will be running the company, well get what, its not going to happen. Millions of people chase the dream every year and 99% of them get st on anyway no matter how hard they try sooner or later.

[untakenname]

Ask them to provide a phone and if they don't then say you own a windows phone in or a new Huawei which doesn't have access to the google app store.

[scottyp123]

I've read a bit more about the app, its called uAttend and apparently it only sends any data to the terminal when you clock in or out and doesn't track you through the day so they know when you have gone for a piss. Everyone on site was talking about how they are tracked every time they moved about and if the phone stopped moving they could see they weren't working hard enough.

So after actually getting the facts it doesn't seem that bad, if they only send a snapshot of GPS data at the moment you clock in/out then that's acceptable I suppose. If you can believe the bumph from the site. I'm not the type to con anyone anyway so I won't be doing an early dart and spoofing the GPS when I'm half way down the A1.

https://www.uattend.co.uk/

However I will still leave early if I so choose and I have done what I need to do so no one else is held up. But if we get any agro for doing that then they will get told to FRO.