Is this acceptable or not? A friend already has email and other basic work apps, but now work wants her to install a GPS tracker. They claim it’s for her safety, but obviously they can monitor her every movement. Also, work does not provide her a phone so this is her personal device.
Work Forcing Installation of Apps on Personal Phone
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but obviously they can monitor her every movement
she could always turn the tracker off when leaving the workplace.
They claim it’s for her safety,
what type of work requires tracking? security, delivery?
She visits clients at various locations, and sometimes regional. They want tracking, for example, if she crashed her car and was injured along the way or a meteor landed on her. In the past, she would text or call to "check in". And no, she's not a prostitute.
Who knows… without jumping to negative conclusions, maybe her employer does have safety as a priority?
There are apps that allows someone to send an SMS with key words (user settable) in it that then triggers the app to automatically reply with an SMS containing GPS coordinates or a link to Google Maps etc. There is still the usual message alert when the initial SMS is received.
That way, she can see who is tracking her and how often she is being tracked to determine whether the tracking is being used by her employer appropriately.
That would be my suggestion.
Search in the App Stores for "SMS Locator" or something similar. I had an app like that installed in my phone for quite some time during a time when I used to travel a lot by myself. Only my close friends had the key words needed to activate the app.
That… actually makes quite a bit of sense, and I wouldn't even be surprised if this was actually something the company might even have to do, for OH&S purposes, even if not this exact implementation. Even an auto-SMS app would still be an extra app she'd have to install for work purposes.
But it's constant movement tracking necessary? And should work not supply her a phone?
constant movement tracking necessary?
Is there a particular app they've asked her to install?
And should work not supply her a phone?
Client-facing staff usually get a company phone and I'm surprised that she doesn't get one in her position since she's on the road all the time. But all this really depends on the company. I've seen some companies pay a small allowance each month towards the phone instead of providing a phone. But if the company is tight, then… nothing.
Maybe, or maybe the app that meets all the other requirements just incidentally also has constant movement tracking.
Probably - that's company policy more than anything else. I mean, some companies provide company cars, some make having your own car a job requirement.
I think it's a little naive to think that. I can almost guarantee they want to track the location of their employees to check they're not bludging.
Is it a requirement of the job to actually
1) have a phone?
2) have a phone with GPS/the ability to install apps?What are they going to do if they hired my dad, whose phone is stuck to the wall of his house with a coiled wire?
What are they going to do if they hired my dad, whose phone is stuck to the wall of his house with a coiled wire?
give him a desk job.
Buy a cheap 2nd phone and sim. Install the app on this phone. Leave the phone off all day or tie it to a bird and the boss will think your friend is a hard worker
Buy a cheap 2nd phone and sim. Install the app on this phone. Take the 2nd phone with her when she's out visiting clients. Leave it at the office or at home after hours.
I had a similar idea, but I thought you could strap the phone to a stray dog or cat..
but now work wants her to install a GPS tracker. They claim it’s for her safety, but obviously they can monitor her every movement
The only time I can think it could be acceptable is if her boss is her pimp!
(Dude, if you want serious answers, you really need to provide us with more information.)
Damn, beat me to it. Pimpin' ain't easy.
Exactly my thought
I'd pull out my older smartphone with zero room for any apps at all and say go for it. It's impossible to install anything on it at all after system updates have been applied it's run out of space.
If her work is worried enough to install an app the least they can do is spring for a crappy work phone which she is required to carry during her work hours.
Maybe start bringing in a "dumb" phone to work and see what they say? :)
do they have a company car?
the place i worked at the company cars had gps trackers in them, also in the work phones.
work stated it was to track their assets.
Use glympse.com. Everybody should be happy then.
Id ask for a company phone - if they dont and she wants the job buy another phone or set up a second profile for work only stuff , Disable gps and install a gps joystick app and just fly around random places