How to Balance Company Vehicle Tracking with Employee Privacy
2 Oct 2023GPS tracking systems can transform any business that relies on a fleet of vehicles. GPS fleet tracking can improve fuel efficiency, the time drivers spend on the road, improve safety, add maintenance alerts, and reduce liability. While these benefits are all significant benefits, there’s one advantage to using GPS tracking for company vehicles that employees sometimes have problems with and that is monitoring driver behavior and location.
Many employees don’t like the idea of their employers tracking them and feel that it may violate their rights to privacy. As an employer, you know that monitoring driver behavior and location allows you to increase accountability for drivers, plus GPS tracking provides so many other benefits, you don’t want to relinquish them all just because of a disgruntled employee.
However, whenever there are concerns about employee privacy, it’s vital you act proactively and take steps to bolster employee privacy and not overstep the line. Taking steps to balance vehicle tracking and employee privacy will ease tensions and make employees happy.
Balancing GPS Tracking and Employee Privacy
Write up a list of all of the benefits of GPS tracking and use it to explain to employees how GPS tracking will help your business. When implementing GPS tracking, it’s vital that you inform your employees beforehand. Browse our website and blog to find all the information on the advantages of GPS tracking.
Document this list. Generally, companies need a reason related to their business to track employees, so it’s important you document the list of benefits GPS tracking provides.
Create a written privacy policy that outlines how your employees will be monitored. This could include alerts that only happen when employees go off the designated route or engage in dangerous driving behavior. Also, outline the consequences for breaking the rules.
Highlight that employee monitoring is not the main reason for GPS tracking and that you trust your employees. Ensure them you won’t be monitoring their behavior unless you get an alert. But also mention the consequences of poor driving behavior.
Obtain written consent. While most companies won’t need written consent to track their employees, obtaining written consent can protect the company and create good faith between employees and employers. However, if employees are driving their own vehicles, not company vehicles, written consent is typically legally required, but speak to your legal representation for verification.
Contact us with any questions you have about GPS fleet tracking. 1-888-544-0494
Comments are closed.