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How Employees Truly Feel about GPS Tracking

How Employees Truly Feel about GPS Tracking

The role of GPS has changed over time, from primary navigation to inventory tracking.

There’s considerable investment in tracking devices nowadays, and the GPS tracking device market is expected to increase in the next few years.

GPS tracking has many benefits for businesses, especially those in the construction industry.

Some of its benefits include:

● Increased Efficiency – With GPS tracking, construction businesses can track their employees and equipment in real-time, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget.

 Increased Productivity – GPS tracking systems help companies optimize their workflows, improving productivity.

● Better Customer Service – By tracking service vehicles and field personnel, businesses can provide better customer service by responding quickly and accurately to customer inquiries.

Managers can use GPS in construction to improve their operations, keep tracking of vehicles and manage their workers better.

But how do employees REALLY feel about being tracked?

Find out if more employees are with or against GPS tracking in this in-depth look at employee compliance with current tracking technologies.

Top 3 Reasons Employers Use GPS at a Jobsite

With many workers present on multiple job sites, managers feel that tracking devices can help them monitor employees better if they have such ready-hand technology.

The main reasons why most employers use GPS tracking tech include:

1. Preventing Time Theft

One of the most common reasons for implementing GPS tracking on the job site is to prevent time theft.

When employees know they are being watched, they are less likely to take unauthorized breaks or start working on their own projects before their shift is officially done.

Preventing time theft can help employers save money and keep their projects on schedule.

2. Ensuring Driver Safety

Construction can be a dangerous industry, and with so many people and pieces of equipment moving around, it’s essential to have a way to track everyone and everything. many employees

GPS technology can help construction businesses improve the safety of their workers by ensuring that everyone is where they are supposed to be and that no one is taking unnecessary risks.

3. Maintaining Accurate Timekeeping Records

With an electronic record of when employees arrive on and leave a construction site, construction businesses can be sure that they pay their workers for their work hours.

This is especially important for businesses that must pay their employees overtime rates.

Many employers’ intentions are for the benefit of their business. Still, employees can have underlying concerns about being tracked.

What Are the Major Concerns of Employees Regarding GPS Tracking?

According to a 2018 study, concerns of employees surveyed for GPS tracking were evaluated and categorized in 4 countries, The US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.

The most common concerns for employees who used GPS were the following:

The most common concerns for employees who haven’t used GPS were the following:

Other concerns include being tracked after work and breach of trust.

US employees who know about GPS monitoring were also more likely to complain to management once tracking was introduced in their workplace compared to others.

What Are the Benefits of GPS Tracking According to Employees?

The same study revealed that employees from all cohorts shared a common significant benefit of GPS:

Tracking Travel Time and Mileage

It seems reasonable for many to track mileage during work hours since this can impact payments.

Many employers offer a reimbursement program for travel costs, and by providing accurate tracking data, employees don’t have to worry about being shortchanged.

In fact, US employees ranked “getting paid what I’m owed” as a close second.

Other benefits that followed include:

Reflecting on these responses, employers can use such information to develop a GPS tracking policy that highlights these benefits, aligns with employees’ expectations, and addresses their concerns.

How to Gain Employee Acceptance for GPS Tracking?

Though the federal rules about employee monitoring are a bit unclear, employers should always refer to their state laws and consult with lawyers before imposing any policies in their workplace.

If all rules are approved and an employer is ready to implement a policy, the Society for Human Resource Management states that intentions should be clearly explained to workers.

A legitimate business rationale behind using GPS should also be established, highlighting safety, the efficiency of routs, accurate time-keeping, and theft prevention.

Things don’t end with developing a policy. Employers should also ensure compliance is maintained and employee satisfaction remains unchanged.

Employers can do the following to increase employee acceptance and keep satisfaction high:

Start Using a GPS Tracking App and Keep Employees Happy

There are obvious employee concerns when using GPS tracking devices in businesses. But that doesn’t mean employers should resist change for the better.

Many employees also see and recognize the benefits of such technology for their company.

That’s why employers need to explain and outline the reasons for using GPS at the job site and ensure any concerns are dealt with head-on.

Regular checkups and policy modifications should also be done when faced with new federal rules and employee dissatisfaction.

Employers should also ensure to collaborate with a professional time tracking software company that can help them introduce GPS tracking to employees effectively and facilitate employee acceptance.

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