More and more companies and cities across America are using a GPS tracking system to keep tabs on where employees are during work hours, according to Fox News. Privacy experts say it is totally legal. Across the US, little black boxes are being tucked into vehicle dashboards. Why?
Because installing a gps fleet tracking system into a fleet vehicle saves money, controls costs and keeps employees on the right track. It is not the kind of GPS system most people have in their car, but a black box that tracks where a car has been.
Managers really like the ability to monitor employees in real-time during work hours. There have been several instances where a GPS fleet tracking system has helped catch employees doing things they aren’t supposed to be doing.
One fleet manager found an employee on the golf course when he was supposed to be working! Another employer caught an employee moving furniture with a company truck during business hours. One employee was busted after he put his moto-cross bike in his 18-wheeler big rig truck and went to the motorcycle racing track while on the job.
In Augusta, GA, City fleet management installed a GPS fleet tracking system into city vehicles to better manage employees while on the go. “Within 12 months of installing the GPS fleet tracking system, it paid for itself,” said city fleet manager, Ron Crowden. “We saw lower fuel costs right away. The tracking system identifies driver behavior and promotes corrective action…”
In addition to tracking employees, a GPS fleet tracking system can increase the efficiency of fleet vehicles by up to 20%. It can also reduce fuel costs, streamline employee stops and reduce insurance and workers compensations cost.
Do you think employers should have the right to track worker whereabouts with a GPS tracking device without their knowledge? What if the employer suspects the employee is falsifying time-sheets?