Monitoring Employees

Organisations can monitor employees by:

• Using GPS location tracking.
• Monitoring internet use and communications

Organisations want to know what their employees are doing and where they are during their working day because, for instance:

• The police need to know where officers are so that they can be sent to the incident.
• A bank will want to know where security staff are delivering money to its branches at all times.
• A local council will want to know where its workers are if they are carrying out council duties.
• Employers have a 'duty of care' to ensure that employees are safe.

GPS is a satellite-based system used by GPS receivers to find locations and times anywhere on the surface, or near to the surface of the Earth.

GPS is free to access by recievers and is used for nativation to or from anywhere that has a line of sight 'view' or four or more of the GPS satellites.

GPS tracking uses data from GPS satellites to find the precise location of the GPS tracking device.

A GPS tracking device records its location at set intervals and sends the data using radio, a mobile phone connection or internet connection to a central computer.

The location can be stored for later analysis or displayed on a map to 'track' the device in real time.

Company vehicles or laptops can be tracked in this way by fixing a GPS tracking device to the vehicle. People can only be tracked if they carry a GPS tracking device.

Some smartphones have GPS tracking built in but most mobile phones do not have a tracking device even though they have GPS receivers installed. 

However, the location of a mobile phone can be traced to the nearest mobile phone access point, where it was last connected to the mobile phone system

Electronic tagging of criminals uses a device that is monitored by a base unit to alert the authorities if the tag goes out of range.

Tracking devices used to track criminals do not actively send data about their location.

GPS tracking can also be used in some circumstances.

Companies have a responsibility to ensure that the use of the internet by their employees is appropriate and for the purpose of doing their job.

A member of staff in an office should only use the internet for work purposes and not, for example booking a personal holiday, for online gambling or playign games.

Email use should be for company business and not personal use.

To ensure that staff do not abuse the privilege, most companies will scan emails to ensure that no viruses or inappropriate words are included and will keep automatic records and backups of all emails to and from the company systems.

Some companies will record telephone conversations to ensure that communications are appropriate.

Most companies let their staff use the email and internet for private use provided they do not abuse the privilege and bring the company into disrepute.

Most companies have a policy about tracking the use of the internet and recording telephone calls by employees.

Employees should be informed that the company is monitoring their use of the internet and communications.

The company must inform a caller to the company that the call may be recorded.