The implementation of the newly developed GPS technologies is becoming more common in all industries.

Proportionally to that tracking and monitoring individuals can be noticed in almost all companies that own valuable vehicles and equipment.

Also, a company owner can as well implement Gps Employee Tracking with the aim to have a better insight of their work.

By that to see which Employee needs additional training.

Yet, the GPS tracking solutions seem to have derived numerous benefits to companies that have implemented one in their daily activities.

So, with the implementation of the Gps Employee tracking technologies brought numerous law enforcement.

Thereupon, company owners who are tracking their employees should try to avoid legal claims when applying these technologies.

Remember that employees are always under protection by the law.

In general, the GPS technologies can provide employers with useful information.

While the employer is gathering information about the work-related activities of the employee everything will remain fine.

What might cause any legal claims is the case when the employer wants to track the employee while he is off duty.

Correspondingly, employees do have their private lives, and it is none of the employer’s business.

Further, in this article, you can read and learn tips that can help companies avoid legal claims when applying GPS employee tracking into their daily work life.

So, let’s take a look!

1. The Law & GPS Tracking

Thanks to the rise of the technology, companies nowadays have the chance to have a clear insight of all activities going on in their company on a daily basis.

Unlike it was the case before the rise of the GPS employee tracking.

Therefore, the rise of the technology brought many tools that seem to provide help to owners, fleet managers as well as employees.

So, there is no doubt that the GPS brought numerous improvements in various industries.

So, looking at the laws for GPS tracking, we can see that it is generally legal to use GPS tracking solutions if:

• You or your company own the vehicle or the asset that you are tracking;
• If you are tracking your children- who are under 18;
• If you are tracking a vehicle or asset for which you have a legal repossession for;
• If you own the vehicle or asset that might be taken/stolen from you;

On the other hand, it is illegal to use a GPS tracking solution:

• If you are tracking partner or employees without their knowledge;
• If you are not the owner of the vehicle or asset that you are tracking;

Still, the companies that decide to implement GPS employee tracking should clearly understand the rights of their employees. More precisely the rights of the employees that they are tracking.

Hence, technology is definitely evolving faster than lawmakers are, but still, that does not have to be the reason behind owners not respecting their employees.

What company owners and employees should do is to find a common ground and agreement before any GPS tracking implementation takes place.

Just before you start with the implementation of tracking devices you should make sure that you have all the information in regards of the laws governing GPS tracking.

In addition, have in mind to pay attention to the Fourth Amendment as well as to other state or federal laws- which are related to persons’ privacy.

Tip: Keep in mind that if you invade your employees’ privacy, then you will definitely get faced with legal claims. Straight proportionally to that, you will lose customers.

2. Responsible GPS Employee Tracking

Only through responsible GPS employee tracking, companies can avoid any possible legal claims.

With the implementation of GPS employee tracking companies should make sure that they are not violating employee’s privacy.

If a company keeps the information provided with the monitoring process for their business purposes and is not abusing that information, then legal claims will remain far away from your legal reach.

All in all, the employer should always get their employees informed when they are being monitored. As well as what that can mean to their work.

In general, companies are most commonly monitoring the following points:

• Location;
• Driver activity for business purposes;
• Safety;

So, the number one rule that employers and fleet managers should remember is that under current laws they must notify their employees for any possible GPS monitoring equipment installed on their company vehicles with which they are operating presently.

Companies should always play wise. Implement GPS employee tracking, but do not forget to protect your business and employee interests.

Moreover, employee monitoring will always remain to be legal if the company is using the GPS for the following aims:

• Location of vehicles when there are any unwanted situations happening, such as are the accidents, theft, as well as emergency situations;
• Monitoring the activities of drivers with the purpose to obey the HOS hours– that they get proper rest and meal breaks;
• Determine the real location– by that, the dispatchers can find the nearest customer callouts;

Still, employees should always remain informed about the aim of the GPS implementation.

3. How Beneficial is GPS Employee Tracking

The GPS technology has shown to be very beneficial for numerous industries. Alike is the case with GPS employee tracking.

In general, we can notice that the laws do affect the GPS technology. It can be seen both on a micro as well as on macro levels.

Thereupon, for example, the GPS employee tracking can benefit companies in the following way:

• To lower the insurance rates;
• Lower the fuel consumption;
• Spend less time on traffic jams and unnecessary breaks;
• Reduced labor costs;

As you can see, this is just a brief insight of how beneficial the GPS employee tracking can be for companies.

Here are few additional benefits that companies can enjoy by implementing GPS employee tracking:

Improve Driver Morale

Driver morale can be improved considerably with the application of GPS tracking system. Through implementing GPS employee tracking the driver will definitely improve its performance.

So, carrying the burden of unproductive colleagues will be long left in the past.

With GPS employee tracking company owners and the overall management will be in the position to track the behavior of their drivers all the time. That way they will be able to spot specific driver performance issues and to solve them.

Increase Driver Safety

As previously mentioned, by implementing GPS employee tracking company owners will be able to spot specific driver performance issues- by that drivers can be put under severe pressure to do their job in a quicker way than before.

On the other hand, the drivers should respect the rules and regulations. The GPS employee tracking device is automatically recording the speeding into the tracker system.

So, here we can see that company owner and the management team can put their drivers into the most effective routes and by that they can ease the time pressure on their drivers.

Retain your Customers

Retaining your customers should be a high priority, both for you as a company owner and to your drivers. So thanks to the GPS device you can track your employees much easier.

In addition, drivers can have input and get can see any changed on the routes that can enable them to save time, and by that to improve customer service.

Protection against False Claims

GPS trackers can be the perfect tools for protection against false claims.

Moreover, thanks to the GPS solution and all the data that these devices are gathering, will provide evidence that the driver has done their job correctly, since all the data that the GPS tracker provides can show exactly when the vehicles are coming to the warehouses/offices, and when are coming to the customer’s address.

Track Service Time Accurately

As part of the benefits that you as a company owner will get to enjoy includes tracking the service time of your drivers and the time accuracy too.

That will be performed through electronic verification of the service time.

Increase Profits All Around

Ensuring job security and potential for improved pay and conditions can be achieved with the implementation of the GPS tracking device.

Incentivise Improvement

You as a company owner can at the same time with the implementation of the GPS device to incentivize improvement in your company.

In other words, GPS tracking can provide enhanced performance measurement which later on can lead to new incentives for your employees.

On the other hand, it can improve and boost the productivity.

Moreover, the benefits that the GPS tracking technology can provide you with are inevitable. Yet what you should do is to keep your business ahead of the curve by getting informed about the laws in your state and in the industry in which you are operating in.

Tip: Always check whether there are any possible restrictions related to GPS monitoring.

4. Know The Potential Risks Form GPS employee tracking

These days there are not a lot of federal and state rules, more precisely statutes that prohibit or overcasts the use of the GPS for tracking employees.

In reality, the company might face potential risks of legal claims from employees who consider that their privacy is under violation.

5. Employee Monitoring and Workplace Privacy Laws

Employee monitoring and workplace privacy laws should always be respected by all companies that are implementing these solutions.

Therefore, due to the fast development of tracking technologies federal and regulatory bodies have issued additional privacy rights for the employees who are being tracked.

Moreover, monitoring employees, in general, is not something new. There were companies implementing these technologies decade ago. Still, we must not forget that employee tracking and monitoring simply lay in the heart of the legal and privacy issues of every company.

The big data that GPS employee tracking brings to companies bring them more efficient and more profitable working environment.

Yet, on the other hand, if the employer is simply obeying all monitoring rules, then the employee must adapt to it and to simply perform his/her duties normally.

6. Common Law GPS Principles and Policies

As mentioned before, employees are enjoying a big protection from the common law GPS principles that are being issued by the main federal and state bodies.

So, the common law GPS principles are protecting the employees from the following situation:

• Tracking where there is not a reasonable expectation or privacy;
• Intentional invasion or intrusion;
• Tracking employees’ movement at all the times;

Having in mind that the workplace privacy and employee monitoring are a more challenging area of the law than ever before, puts employers in a stricter situation when implementing GPS employee tracking.

Moreover, both the employer and the employee should adapt and comply with the evolving regulations, technology as well as laws.

So, it leads businesses to consider the following policies:

• Social Media Policy;
• Written Information Security Program;
• Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Policy;
• Electronic Communication Policy;

As we can conclude, employers’ morale becomes important consideration on the points how and whether to monitor the employees.

7. Combat Employee Resistance

Companies can combat employee resistance by revealing them the benefits that they can enjoy.

The benefits that companies get from the implementation of GPS employee tracker are numerous, and we have all know which the benefits are.

But, not all employees have the essential information about the benefits that they are going to experience. Most commonly that is the real reason behind GPS employee resistance.

So, you as the owner or fleet manager should do is to try to increase employee accountability. At the same time by doing so, the company will reassure to avoid any further legal claims.

On the other hand, if you are operating with the GPS employee tracking as you should, according to the rules and regulations, as well as by respecting your employees, then you will see the future satisfaction of your employees.

Soon enough, the employee will benefit from adopting the technology.

By outlining the benefits one can experience employee satisfaction and to avoid legal claims when applying GPS employee tracking solutions.

Conclusion

To enumerate, GPS employee tracking is only acceptable in the situation when the tracking is taking place only during working hours. Yet, the employer should definitely take into consideration the related legal ramifications. As well as the employee privacy issues before it begins with its implementation.

Finally, both the employers and the employees should be considerate and responsible. Also, make sure that your company has a written GPS tracking policy. It is how you can avoid legal claims when applying GPS employee tracking solutions.

All in all, I do hope that this article will help. Especially in the overall proves of avoiding legal claims when using tracking solutions.