GPS issues?

junebug · September 2003

The company I work for has a dozen service technicians who are paid $550/month for using their own trucks to go out on service calls. The manager of the Service department wants to install GPS devices on the trucks at company expense to be able to tell if the technicians are where there are supposed to be during the work day. If they were our trucks, I wouldn't be as skeptical, but since it's the employees' trucks, I am concerned. Especially about off the clock hours. If this issue has been discussed, please lead me to the thread. Otherwise, any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Don D · September 2003

I see no problem with it. No more than people who use their personal vehicle as a taxi and the company screws its meter to the dashboard.

junebug · September 2003

I guess I forsee the technicians being concerned with the company having the ability to see where they are in the off hours. We would not do that, but they might think we would.

Don D · September 2003

It's my understanding that they can wrap tin foil around the device and throw it off a mile or two.

Balloonman · September 2003

We are looking at a similar plan, as we are going to offer service with a 1 hour guarentee. We want to use it to identify who is the closet to the customer so we can get someone there within an hour. I found out last week, that the new nextel phones come with GPS and you can track location over the internet. Might be a way of doing it without incurring extra expense.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

junebug · September 2003

The service manager looked into that, but said the batteries run down too quickly with the GPS installed to make it practicle.

Leslie · September 2003

If the employees have the ability to turn off the GPS when they are off the clock, I see no problem with the activity. Should they turn it off during work hours, that would be a violation addressed with disciplinary action.

FrayWitzer · September 2003

I agree, though I do think that the ability to turn the GPS off on off hours is not as incidental as some posts have made it sound, particularly if installation of the GPS is mandatory, as it sounds. Here in Mass., we have a somewhat broad privacy act that prohibits employers from unnecessarily intruding on the privacy of their employees. GPS on off hours might well qualify.

Evan

Pork · September 2003

HAVE THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOK AT IT AGAIN, THERE ARE NICE LOOKING FLOOR MOUNTS AND HANDS FREE OPERATIONS, I HAVE ONE IN MY COMPANY CAR. NOW IF WE COULD GET ANTENNA SERVICE THROUGH OUT THE SERVICE AREA IT WOULD BE A NO BRAINER.

PORK

GPS issues?

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