Tracker for human beings.

[mikemack00]

The IT geek at our company said he needed to install an update on my company phone. When I get it back I discover it has a tracker on it, it's not just me though, this seems to be rolling out on all the engineers, some of them seem to roll over and say tickle my belly, some say stick it up your you know what, I'm of the latter. Anyone know what rights we have against this ';.'. Some one said to me"if you haven't got anything to hide, you shouldn't have anything to worry about" this ****es me off! I shouldn't have to prove I have nothing to hide. Can I say I don't agree to having it on my phone. Should I speak to HR, rather than getting into a barny with a jumped up IT geek. Why do some electricians have no balls.

 

[telectrix]

no problem, when you go off duty, just leave the company phone in the nearest public bog.

 

[mikemack00]

I wonder how many people are tracked in the UK? I think it is a growing number.

 

[kingeri]

I had this with vehicles being tracked. Unfortunately, it seems that an object, be it a car or a phone, can be tracked by the employer quite legally. A side effect of this is obviously the person driving the car or using the phone is then also tracked. It's not as though the company has barcoded you and put a tracker under your skin.

Find out if it tracks via GPRS or GPS. The latter will pinpoint your exact location, the former can only tell them which network transmitter area you're in.

 

[Floody]

A tracker to see where you are? Or a tracker for the usage of the phone?

 

[vjsmarwick]

It's their phones they have the right but if your doing nothing wrong what does it really matter. I think everyone should be chipped and everyone have it in different places then no more missing people what a saving in policing and stops child abduction.

 

[Rauer]

Have they told you that they have installed a tracker on the phone?

Fairly certain that they have to inform you of it, invasion of privacy and all!

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Just put the company phone on call forward to your own mobile and leave the company one at ta office in the locker. Get an unlimited call sim only deal for £20 per month. They have a right to track their property but not you - so you are doing nothing wrong

 

[kingeri]

It's their phones they have the right but if your doing nothing wrong what does it really matter. I think everyone should be chipped and everyone have it in different places then no more missing people what a saving in policing and stops child abduction.

That's the most ludicrous thing I've read in a while. We should be chipped? Really?

 

[thekingiam]

sounds like the trackers companies put on there vehicles, think you should of been notified first though. big brother gone mad lol,that it guy will now go through all the data he gets from the phones do lovely pie charts and graphs to show your boss to justify his wages.then people will be told to have shorter breaks be on work on time finish jobs quicker in the morning etc etc.
have you got to have a works phone? can't you use your own?
doesn't seem a nice company to work for.

 

[derek preece]

Can't you just go into the 'phone settings and un-install it or disable it, or disable GPS if it uses that?

 

[Rauer]

Or drop it!!!

 

[thekingiam]

if you know a taxi driver ask him to borrow it for a shift,put it on call forward to your phone,company will think it guy a joke and get back to worrying about the price of materials.

 

[mikemack00]

Thanks guys you have some good ideas there, apart from vjsmarwick that is lol

 

[MarkieSparkie]

It's their phones they have the right but if your doing nothing wrong what does it really matter. I think everyone should be chipped and everyone have it in different places then no more missing people what a saving in policing and stops child abduction.

Big Brother is alive and well! I can hear George Orwell and Aldous Huxley turning in their graves.

 

[kathwilcox]

a couple of weeks ago my other half was given a personal tracker in the form of a keyring, he was told while at work he had to keep it on him at all times, apparently it communicates with the tracker in his van, he has wrapped it in tin foil and put it in the van ash tray!

Micro management stinks!

 

[derek preece]

I am so glad I am self employed!

 

[mikemack00]

1984 Bloody good book though, but refuse to live in it.

 

[kathwilcox]

I am so glad I am self employed!

Snap, my van, my time, will go where i want and do what i want, you can smoke in my van, fart and eat, the only thing i request is that you take your rubbish with you!

 

[alarm man]

check your t&c's,they cant just do it without your knowledge

 

[mikemack00]

I did derek preece, but they got wise to that, and set up a password. for the other electricians, so they couldn't disable it. Now I have been informed on the grape vine that next time I'm in the office, they will turn the tracker back on, and install a password on my phone.

 

[sparks1973]

I wonder how many people are tracked in the UK? I think it is a growing number.

all of us....its called satelite and surveilance cameras....

 

[Harness69]

sounds about right! employers think they own your soul during working hours...

 

[sparks1973]

sounds about right! employers think they own your soul during working hours...

depends if you`v sold it to em or not....

 

[derek preece]

I did derek preece, but they got wise to that, and set up a password. for the other electricians, so they couldn't disable it. Now I have been informed on the grape vine that next time I'm in the office, they will turn the tracker back on, and install a password on my phone.

Is the tracker on the phone or on the sim? If on the phone then could put the sim in another phone, I think I'd try playing games with them as much as I possibly could if I was in that situation.

 

[mikemack00]

Is the tracker on the phone or on the sim? If on the phone then could put the sim in another phone, I think I'd try playing games with them as much as I possibly could if I was in that situation.

Hmmmm.....thats devious, I like it! only trouble is I need to use a phone app called genius scan to send my job sheets in, but think I will give that a go. Sounds like a winner.

 

[mikemack00]

Sorry guys I have no idea if the tracker is on the phone or the sim? it is an app called "my friends" this might shed some light. Find My Friends for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store

The it geek must have accepted me(the phone) as a friend. Also there is a 'find my phone' setting on the 'privacy' setting of the phoen that I have disabled.

 

[kingeri]

Thanks guys you have some good ideas there, apart from vjsmarwick that is lol

That's what the thanks button is for!

 

[Nolnoc]

turn your phone off at excactly 5 pm and not back on till 8am....next time they want you to do a small job on the way home you won't be available. we all did that at the last firm.drove them mad but they could do nothing about it...

 

[derek preece]

Apparently this is how you disable it.
Disable Find My Friends when you don't need it. On the device broadcasting your location (my iPhone, in my case), tap the Me button. Then set the option labeled “Hide from Followers” to ON. This removes your location from their devices. (I like to think of this as “stealth mode.”)

If this is the app that is being used then I think it is only installed on the phone. It can also be uninstalled though I don't know how your company would react- I'd just claim it must have happened by accident as I don't know how to use these newfangled bloody devices

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Da is abising yor right under section8 of the european convention on human right man
Article 8

Article 8 protects your right to respect for your privacy and your correspondence – monitoring of emails, telephones conversations and internet usage, the use of intrusive CCTV footage or vehicle tracking devices, or subjecting you to searches or to drug or alcohol testing, may interfere with your right to respect for your private life. However, it is important to note that most of what you do at work will not be considered part of your private life – the question will be whether in the circumstances you should have a reasonable expectation of privacy. If there is an interference, this does not necessary breach your Article 8 rights, as this right is not absolute, and interferences with your privacy are permitted if they are justified and proportionate.

 

[trev]

There's strength in numbers here mate, get everyone to switch their phones off at knocking off time and back on at starting time, when they ask why this is happening tell them straight. This might be enough after a few weeks to force a climb down but you all need to be doing this if you're the only one doing it you're the one who will be down the road at the first opportunity

 

[KevinS]

Sorry to say but if you turn this app off during working hours you may in breach of your terms and conditions and therefore face disciplinary action.
use the phone work hours only, not a minute more. Wait and see what your fellow workers are doing and what happens to them, let them be the guinea pigs. They will all be thinking the same as you. If they get away with turning it off, then you may re- consider, but please be careful - jobs aren't easy to come by these days

 

[Harness69]

sound advice!

 

[plugsandsparks]

Have a large field engineering workforce?
Need to get hold of them urgently ?
Not sure where the nearst eng is to the urgent job request?
Engineer not answering phone, not sure what site he is working from?

Seams like a good solution.

Resistance ?
Engineer does not want anyone to know where they are, especially the office.
Engineer needs to nip to Sainsburys to get the milk, )
Engineer has mistress tucked up in Chipping Sodbury.

MMM i can see the problem.

 

[alarm man]

Wait and see what your fellow workers are doing and what happens to them, let them be the guinea pigs.

what ever happened to soladarity,you need to speak to the gaffers,as one and find out whats going on..

 

[Harness69]

what ever happened to soladarity,you need to speak to the gaffers,as one and find out whats going on..

not that easy alarm man, day hours are the only time we escape the mrs, need a bit of fun time! ;-)

 

[trev]

If you do it together you'll most likely force a climb down but I can't stress enough you have to act together. If there's one weak link you're all screwed

 

[alarm man]

not that easy alarm man, day hours are the only time we escape the mrs, need a bit of fun time! ;-)

i wouldnt see an employer tracking an individual if thats the case as fun,could be classed as victimisation if it is the caae

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Snap, my van, my time, will go where i want and do what i want, you can smoke in my van, fart and eat, the only thing i request is that you take your rubbish with you!

And take a dump!