We live in the Jetson age and the possibilities with technology are endless. One popular technology is GPS, especially with smartphone apps. Business owners with remote employees have discovered that GPS time clock apps meet many business needs. These apps help ensure employee punctuality, accurate time cards, and verification that employees are on site. While using GPS tracking as an employee management tool has benefits, one factor is your employees’ privacy rights. For this reason, it’s essential to consider how to track employees with GPS the right way.
Fairness and Employee GPS Tracking
The issue of GPS tracking employees is a 2-sided coin. On one side, you have a right to know that your remote, hourly employees are on-site and on time when on the clock. On the other side, your employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they are off the clock. You’re both right. If we can agree on these points, then the issue is how to track employees with GPS the right way? How do you implement a GPS-enabled employee time clock that meets your business needs, is fair to your employees, and stays legally in bounds?
Let’s first address the question of legality. The 4th Amendment protects citizens against unlawful search and seizure by the government, but it doesn’t reach the private sector. Some states address the issue of tracking employees with GPS, yet it’s generally agreed that small business owners can track the location of their employees with their consent and while they are on the clock.
The Chronotek App – Location Tracking Intelligently Designed
Now a little about the Chronotek mobile time card app. We designed it with intelligence and intentionally different from similar time tracking apps — to protect you. Other time clock apps may provide live “breadcrumb” tracks throughout the day of employees’ locations. However, if an employee forgets to clock out, GPS tracking continues during the employee’s off-hours. This ongoing tracking gets into a murky grey area, is unfair to the employee, and puts you at risk. Chronotek’s proprietary Smart Tracks™ GPS technology eliminates the risk and injects fairness with common sense. Here’s a quick rundown of what the app does:
- Asks for permission to track location upon download
- Gets a location track at clock-in
- Immediately reports if the employee is tracked at the job or not (on clock-in and clock-out)
- Reports if the employee leaves the job site while still on the clock and if he returns
- Shows the locations that the employee visits while on the clock
- Reports if the employee disables location services while on the clock
- Displays on the employee’s clock-in screen that location tracking is enabled
We believe these capabilities address a business owner’s concerns, but with one very crucial difference – an employee’s on-the-clock activity is reported after the time card is closed. Why is this distinction important?
Track Employees With GPS the Right Way…And the Smart Way
First and foremost, our decision not to show a live breadcrumb trail protects you without sacrifice to a real, actionable business need. After all, do you have time to monitor every employee’s breadcrumb trail? What’s essential to know is your employees aren’t clocking in away from the job site. Our system reports real-time on the app and admin site when employees clock in or out, not located at the job. “Breadcrumb trackers” don’t offer this feature.
Moreover, when an employee forgets to clock out, we don’t report his after-hours locations. This safety feature protects you and respects your employees’ privacy. But we deliver what you need to know in living color – is your employee clocking in at the job site or away from the job site? This is how to track employees with GPS the right way. Actually, it’s the smart way.
Our GPS-enabled time clock app is fair to you and your employees. Furthermore, it is the best employee time clock app. Give it a shot for free for 30 days.
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About Chronotek
The most dependable employee timesheet and scheduling software available. For over 20 years, Chronotek has set the standard in time tracking by providing businesses with every tool needed to manage a remote workforce, reduce time card waste, and simplify the payroll process. No matter if employees are working from the field, at the office or from home… Chronotek has the solution!
