"Tracking Device "

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: Oldtom
I worked for a utility contractor some years back. We were told ALL vehicles were tracked. They also threatened to fire us if the truck was parked near a strip club or massage parlor
What if a tranny blew near the Massage Parlour?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

That's an Electrical TRANSformer .... btw

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: grampi
I see nothing illegal about installing a tracking device, but I believe the boss needs to tell his employees that the device has been installed, which basically makes the device useless....


If it accomplishes the purpose for which it was installed; to prevent theft or dishonest use of company property, then I would say it’s completely effective.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted By: SilverGt
I don't want to protect my coworker I'm just not sure it's legal?


Companies monitor employees all the time. A great example is keystroke programs on the company's computing resources. They know everywhere you've been on your computer and they know the time etc. when you were there. The company I worked for had them they fired several employees for being on child porn sites. One of those employee's belonged to me.


And if you spend too much time on, say, an oil forum?

Grounds for termination?

Or at least counseling about wasting company time?

 

[Nick1994]

Let us know the outcome!

 

[i_hate_autofraud]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
https://www.devineoffice.com/blog/general/gps-tracking-devices-on-company-vehicles

If anything, I think the employee might try to sue (probably unsuccessfully anyway) the employer if the employer did not inform the employee that there is a tracking device, but I don't see how YOU could be responsible for any wrongdoing. It is not YOUR duty to inform the other employee about this.




If an bad employee tried to sue they would lose since they have "unclean hands" while ripping off the company - and they'd be ordered to
pay the legal costs of the company and anyone else they named in the lawsuit! So install the tracker if the boss says so!

Years back, a big production machine shop I worked at lost TONS of expensive bar stock intended for production, almost went
broke because orders could not be met and innocent employees not paid - because a few employees ripped off the warehouse!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Oldtom
I worked for a utility contractor some years back. We were told ALL vehicles were tracked. They also threatened to fire us if the truck was parked near a strip club or massage parlor
What if a tranny blew near the Massage Parlour?


And you had to go inside to use the phone

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted By: SilverGt
I don't want to protect my coworker I'm just not sure it's legal?


Companies monitor employees all the time. A great example is keystroke programs on the company's computing resources. They know everywhere you've been on your computer and they know the time etc. when you were there. The company I worked for had them they fired several employees for being on child porn sites. One of those employee's belonged to me.


And if you spend too much time on, say, an oil forum?

Grounds for termination?

Or at least counseling about wasting company time?


With the Oil Forum issue, the Nerd indicator light would come on.

 

[chainblu]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson


The company I worked for had them they fired several employees for being on child porn sites.


Wow! It's ball-sy enough to surf porn on a company computer. But kiddy porn? Just disgusting!

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: grampi
I see nothing illegal about installing a tracking device, but I believe the boss needs to tell his employees that the device has been installed, which basically makes the device useless....


If it accomplishes the purpose for which it was installed; to prevent theft or dishonest use of company property, then I would say it’s completely effective.


Installing is fine, installing and warning, while not necessary is probably more effective in changing behaviours than going all "Mistery Diner" on him.

One of the best managers I know does random tests on the toilets, handbasins and eating surfaces in his workplace (typically trades/non trades heavy industry).

If they pick up a drug related issue, they call a mass meeting, and state that they have evidence of use, and that should it not disappear, then mandatory start time testing for all, plus randoms during the day...

It's VERY effective.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Oldtom
I worked for a utility contractor some years back. We were told ALL vehicles were tracked. They also threatened to fire us if the truck was parked near a strip club or massage parlor
What if a tranny blew near the Massage Parlour?


Funny story, my FIL had a newsagency in a country town, and his Camry carked it out the front of "Chantillies"...His wife knew about it before he had walked the mile and a half back to the shop...no-one offered him a lift, in their haste to spread small town gossip.

When my Company got bought, the parent company was in the process of sacking two employees who were found via the programme "airwatch" to be in a bar during working hours.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Where do you get these tracking devices? I thought they are kind of difficult to get (a subscription service that caters to Repo men)

Are they all subscription based? (even dog trackers?)

 

[eljefino]

Some states might require your boss to notify employees that they may be monitored by camera, keystroke, GPS, mail, fax, work output etc. It should already be boilerplate in the employee manual.

My state for example does not allow voice recordings, though it does video. Any video needs to be not set up to record audio.

 

[bdcardinal]

If anything you can put a label in al the company vehicles stating that it may have a GPS monitoring device. The actual employees won't know which vehicles are monitored.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Now thats funny. I go to a massage therapist and its 3 miles from Strip Club. How close can you be? Is there a bell or whistle if you get too close? Are shock collars in the works?

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: Delta
Completely legal. There's a tracker on every work van in the company I work for. Every time I leave or arrive at my house my boss's phone will ping. Every time we arrive and leave at a building, again boss's phone will ping. Can pull up where the van is at any point in time, also tracks speed and if you're wearing a seat belt.


Same here. Standard OBD plug in tracker shows everything. Speed, engine speed, how agressive its driven, location, seat belt, key in ignition, if the doors are open etc.. Also the company has full rights to tracking their assets.

We had trackers on our phones for a while but guys would turn them off after hours and take vans. Also im pretty sure that wasn't as legal to track lol.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: chainblu
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson


The company I worked for had them they fired several employees for being on child porn sites.


Wow! It's ball-sy enough to surf porn on a company computer. But kiddy porn? Just disgusting!


You wouldn't believe how many people do it on a company machine. In the early days we didn't have it monitored, but once we installed it, there were about 20 people surfing for porn. After HR sent out the notice, there were still around 10, a second notice got it down to 3 and then I think HR had a talk with them individually and it stopped. We did end up firing a security guard that was surfing porn at night. At first it was coming up as a secretary's machine, but then we looked at the time stamp and realized it was the security guard that sat there at night, surfing for porn from midnight to the morning.

 

[hpb]

I can't believe there are still companies out there who AREN'T tracking their vehicles. Our fleet has had them for years. Most of the large truck fleets here have trackers AND permanent dash cams.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

Originally Posted By: hpb
I can't believe there are still companies out there who AREN'T tracking their vehicles. Our fleet has had them for years. Most of the large truck fleets here have trackers AND permanent dash cams.


Fly by night companies who hire independent contractors don't want any of that nonsense.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: chainblu
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson


The company I worked for had them they fired several employees for being on child porn sites.


Wow! It's ball-sy enough to surf porn on a company computer. But kiddy porn? Just disgusting!

Police needed to be called so they can have search warrant for this creep's house.