CKA Forums
http://www.canadaka.net/forums/

Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions
http://www.canadaka.net/forums/science-f47/employee-tracking-apps-raise-worker-privacy-questions-t112573.html
Page 1 of 2

Author:  ShepherdsDog [ Tue May 19, 2015 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/emplo ... -1.3075673

$1:
A California woman is suing her former employer for more than $500,000 US after the company allegedly fired her for refusing to allow it to track her whereabouts around the clock.

In the American case, Intermex asked Myrna Arias to download Xora, a tracking app, on her company phone and keep it on "24/7," she claims in a lawsuit filed May 5 and first reported by the technology site Ars Technica.

Her employer admitted to monitoring off-duty employees and "bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments," the lawsuit alleges. Arias complained to her boss that it was illegal and uninstalled the app, which she compared to "a prisoner's ankle bracelet," less than a month later. Intermex fired Arias shortly afterwards.


Coming soon to a workplace near you??

Author:  DrCaleb [ Tue May 19, 2015 7:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
Coming soon to a workplace near you??


Nope. Pretty much against privacy regulations in Canada.

Author:  OnTheIce [ Tue May 19, 2015 8:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/employee-tracking-apps-raise-worker-privacy-questions-1.3075673

$1:
A California woman is suing her former employer for more than $500,000 US after the company allegedly fired her for refusing to allow it to track her whereabouts around the clock.

In the American case, Intermex asked Myrna Arias to download Xora, a tracking app, on her company phone and keep it on "24/7," she claims in a lawsuit filed May 5 and first reported by the technology site Ars Technica.

Her employer admitted to monitoring off-duty employees and "bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments," the lawsuit alleges. Arias complained to her boss that it was illegal and uninstalled the app, which she compared to "a prisoner's ankle bracelet," less than a month later. Intermex fired Arias shortly afterwards.


Coming soon to a workplace near you??


Already in place.

Fleet companies all over Canada use tracking in their vehicles or use specific GPS units within the vehicle to track movement. I

f you're using company property such as a vehicle or phone, leave it all home or the office when you're not working and use your personal property.

Author:  raydan [ Tue May 19, 2015 2:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

I agree with OTI...


...OMFG, how did that happen!!!! 8O




When you're not working, leave it at work.

Author:  bootlegga [ Tue May 19, 2015 10:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/employee-tracking-apps-raise-worker-privacy-questions-1.3075673

$1:
A California woman is suing her former employer for more than $500,000 US after the company allegedly fired her for refusing to allow it to track her whereabouts around the clock.

In the American case, Intermex asked Myrna Arias to download Xora, a tracking app, on her company phone and keep it on "24/7," she claims in a lawsuit filed May 5 and first reported by the technology site Ars Technica.

Her employer admitted to monitoring off-duty employees and "bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments," the lawsuit alleges. Arias complained to her boss that it was illegal and uninstalled the app, which she compared to "a prisoner's ankle bracelet," less than a month later. Intermex fired Arias shortly afterwards.


Coming soon to a workplace near you??


I don't blame her for being upset.

However, if a company was willing to pay me 24/7 at my full rate, then I might be willing to let them track me 24/7.

Author:  BRAH [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

It's the same if you're driving a company vehicle and the gps tracks it outside the nudie bar.

Author:  DrCaleb [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

BRAH BRAH:
It's the same if you're driving a company vehicle and the gps tracks it outside the nudie bar.


But that's the question. If you are off the clock, do they have the right to care you are at the nudie bar?

Author:  Regina [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

If you have and are using a company phone and vehicle for personal use then fine, they have a right to know where their equipment is. Other than that, they should piss off.

Author:  OnTheIce [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

DrCaleb DrCaleb:
BRAH BRAH:
It's the same if you're driving a company vehicle and the gps tracks it outside the nudie bar.


But that's the question. If you are off the clock, do they have the right to care you are at the nudie bar?


If you have their property at the bar, yes.

Leave your work vehicle at home or at the office when you're not working.

Author:  DrCaleb [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

Regina Regina:
If you have and are using a company phone and vehicle for personal use then fine, they have a right to know where their equipment is. Other than that, they should piss off.


That's my thoughts as well. The situation is similar to the 'metadata' collected when governments spy on it's citizens. Sure, they need to know where their equipment is, but that also comes with the knowledge of where the employee is as well. Unless the employee has to return the equipment to a depot or similar, when their shift is done. Not all employees have that luxury.

Author:  DrCaleb [ Wed May 20, 2015 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

OnTheIce OnTheIce:
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
BRAH BRAH:
It's the same if you're driving a company vehicle and the gps tracks it outside the nudie bar.


But that's the question. If you are off the clock, do they have the right to care you are at the nudie bar?


If you have their property at the bar, yes.

Leave your work vehicle at home or at the office when you're not working.


And the pipeline welder who has to live out of hotels for months at a time? The long haul truck driver? The taxi driver who's just there for the lunch buffet? There is nothing illegal about being at a bar, therefore there is no need for the company to care since they know where their equipment is.

Author:  Regina [ Wed May 20, 2015 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

Nothing illegal about any bar no matter if there is nude people or not. If you are drinking too much and driving then there's a problem.

Author:  DrCaleb [ Wed May 20, 2015 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

Regina Regina:
Nothing illegal about any bar no matter if there is nude people or not. If you are drinking too much and driving then there's a problem.


But it's the police's problem, not the companies. It's only the companies if the employee gets convicted for impaired driving.

Author:  OnTheIce [ Wed May 20, 2015 8:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

And the pipeline welder who has to live out of hotels for months at a time? The long haul truck driver? The taxi driver who's just there for the lunch buffet? There is nothing illegal about being at a bar, therefore there is no need for the company to care since they know where their equipment is.


Employers have the right to say when, where and how their property will be used.

There is nothing illegal about being at a bar, but if your company has rules about the usage of their property during non-business/working hours, those rules must be followed. If your vehicle needs to stay at home or the hotel when your shift is done, so be it.

I've seen this with friends of mine that work for Bell Canada and for Ontario Power Generation. If you don't like the rules, quit.

Author:  Regina [ Wed May 20, 2015 8:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Employee tracking apps raise worker privacy questions

Yup. I'm just saying that it shouldn't matter what bar they are at. If you are on the way home or hotel and stop in, then you have done nothing wrong and an employer would have no grounds for punishment. A company vehicle can also be parked outside a bar and the employee could be next door shopping or at another establishment.

Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB ©