Company wants to install GPS tracker in personal car

Tzardine

Hi All,

Looking for some advice. My job involves driving to different sites countrywide (I am an Operations Manager) . When I started with the company I was told to use my own car for work, for which I receive an allowance and mileage rate, so that was ok with me. The other Operations Managers have company cars.

The company has now decided to put tracking devices into the company cars and they are looking for me to have one installed in my own car. I am not sure that I want to do this. Its not that I have anything to hide, I just feel that if they want to track my car then they can give me a company car like the other managers. I have no objection to being tracked while working but I don't think they should be allowed to track me in my own car on my own time. My partner also uses my car occasionally.

Truth is that if they forced the issue I will most likely install it in my car, but I am curious to any thoughts which you might have.

Cheers

Strituck

Procrastastudy

Strituck wrote: »

Hi All,

Looking for some advice. My job involves driving to different sites countrywide (I am an Operations Manager) . When I started with the company I was told to use my own car for work, for which I receive an allowance and mileage rate, so that was ok with me. The other Operations Managers have company cars.

The company has now decided to put tracking devices into the company cars and they are looking for me to have one installed in my own car. I am not sure that I want to do this. Its not that I have anything to hide, I just feel that if they want to track my car then they can give me a company car like the other managers. I have no objection to being tracked while working but I don't think they should be allowed to track me in my own car on my own time. My partner also uses my car occasionally.

Truth is that if they forced the issue I will most likely install it in my car, but I am curious to any thoughts which you might have.

Cheers

Strituck

Does you allowance depend on miles etc? If so then I'd be inclined to allow it. If not then I'd be telling them to go fly a kite.

Victor

Make sure the device has an 'private mileage' option that can be turned off when you aren't working.

Not necessarily favoured by dossers.

Outkast_IRE

I personally wouldnt allow it on my personal car how would it be installed ? what if the car developed an electrical fault ? can it be turned on and off ? would the installation/mounting of the device in any way damage or mark the cars interior ? , i would be looking for a company car if they want to do something like this .

fasttalkerchat

If you would be happy to be given a company car instead you could say that your wife owns half the car and she isn't happy about it.

Tzardine

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

If you would be happy to be given a company car instead you could say that your wife owns half the car and she isn't happy about it.

I dont think they want to give me a company car tbh. Its complicated, its an English Company based across the water. I look after Ireland and am the only manager here.

I am pie

I had a friend who had this installed. Eventually he left the company. He was breaking his back working 60 to 70 hour weeks. He would occasionally get a phone call asking why wasn't he out on the road yet or why had he left a site early etc. He was consistently surpassing his sales targets. Eventually left and won a case against the former employer.

You are open to a certain level of micromanagement which is fine if you have a good relationship with the UK management. He was also the sole rep in Ireland. I think this caused a bit of nervousness in his UK team which drove them to suspicion.

Dunno. All depends on your relation with the boss.

seamus

There are a number of points of contention, as others have pointed out:

- Will the installation of the device require changes to the vehicle which will lower its value? (drilling things into the dash, etc)
- Can the device be turned off when you're not working? If not, then your privacy and that of your partner is being violated.
- Will your insurance company still cover you for non-standard modifications, and if there is a premium increase will the company pay it?

What's the point of the device? Presumably people with company cars don't submit mileage claims, so this device is not for recording mileage?

Is there an alternative solution that can be arranged? For example, a tracking app on a smartphone which you turn on to record your journeys?

tatli_lokma

In addition to all of the above considerations, also weigh up the implications of BIK. On your current car, as your payment is for mileage you might be better off from a BIK point of view. It all depends on how much you are getting, what mileage you are doing and what the company car value is.

An ex-colleague of mine originally started on a mileage allowance. This meant she got paid a flat rate for mileage and built into this she got a couple of percent on top for wear and tear. As this was considered repaying an expense, she wasn't taxed on the whole thing, just on the additional percentage. The company then changed the rules and paid a higer rate, but it was given entirely as an allowance, meaning she was taxed on the whole thing. At that point she was given a company car, as she decided she might as well not put the wear and tear on her own car when financially there was little or no advantage. All's grand for about 8 mths. Then the company bought a new fleet of cars. She went from having an 06 saloon car, to having a very expensive jeep. Her BIK increased as a result. Moral of the story, decide financially which option is better off financially for you. And then once that is established decide if you are happy to have a GPS in the car as part of the deal.

Tzardine

Little Ted wrote: »

In addition to all of the above considerations, also weigh up the implications of BIK. On your current car, as your payment is for mileage you might be better off from a BIK point of view. It all depends on how much you are getting, what mileage you are doing and what the company car value is.

An ex-colleague of mine originally started on a mileage allowance. This meant she got paid a flat rate for mileage and built into this she got a couple of percent on top for wear and tear. As this was considered repaying an expense, she wasn't taxed on the whole thing, just on the additional percentage. The company then changed the rules and paid a higer rate, but it was given entirely as an allowance, meaning she was taxed on the whole thing. At that point she was given a company car, as she decided she might as well not put the wear and tear on her own car when financially there was little or no advantage. All's grand for about 8 mths. Then the company bought a new fleet of cars. She went from having an 06 saloon car, to having a very expensive jeep. Her BIK increased as a result. Moral of the story, decide financially which option is better off financially for you. And then once that is established decide if you are happy to have a GPS in the car as part of the deal.

Good advice. I never considered BIK, although my mileage is about 60,000 per year so rate would be on lowest bracket. TBH my car is a good few years old so if I had to pay BIK I wouldnt mind as I would get a 2013 car.

Honey-ec

Strituck wrote: »

Good advice. I never considered BIK, although my mileage is about 60,000 per year so rate would be on lowest bracket. TBH my car is a good few years old so if I had to pay BIK I wouldnt mind as I would get a 2013 car.

6% with the mileage you're doing. It's a push, really. But also moot, until you know whether your employer will give you a company car or not in the first place.

Doom

no way.... its your private property.... your privacy and that of your partner is being violated

If you decide to get it done (personally I would say no!) make sure to ring your insurance company before its done. Irish insurance companies can be very finicky about modifications of any description and could cancel your policy or demand a higher premium.

monkeypants

I don't accept work related calls on my personal mobile, my thinking is that if they want me to be contactable all the time, they should give me a phone. No way I would let a tracker be put on my car.

Mrs OBumble

Are there any health and safety reasons for having the device? In some jobs, I would say that an employer is almost duty-bound to provide a GPS so that they can track employee movements, and dispatch assistance or at least make a follow-up phone call if movement patterns suggest they employee has run into a problem.

If there are, then you may not really be in a position to refuse.

joeguevara

From the data protection commissioner's website:

The use of vehicle tracking systems involves the collection of personal data as they record the location of the individual in charge of a vehicle at any particular time.


An organisation using or considering using such a tracking system must be able to demonstrate that there is a good business reason for such surveillance.


The individuals affected must be informed of the surveillance and its purposes.


If personal (non-work-related) use of a vehicle is permitted, it should be possible to disable or mask the tracking system outside of working hours.

bbam

Let them put it in..
Then get yourself a signal jammer so you can have some "private time" when you feel like it..

I'm pretty sure they'll be able to drag up an example from the past where some idiot was caught out messing with milage or something, this would be their business case to insist on putting it in..

http://www.jammer4uk.com/car-gps-jammer-c-1.html


I suppose I'm torn between saying you should refuse and ask for a proper company car if they want to install a tracker... Then again, once you kick the wasps nest it can't be un-kicked.. Start fighting them and god knows where it goes..

joeguevara

bbam wrote: »

Let them put it in..
Then get yourself a signal jammer so you can have some "private time" when you feel like it..

I'm pretty sure they'll be able to drag up an example from the past where some idiot was caught out messing with milage or something, this would be their business case to insist on putting it in..

http://www.jammer4uk.com/car-gps-jammer-c-1.html


I suppose I'm torn between saying you should refuse and ask for a proper company car if they want to install a tracker... Then again, once you kick the wasps nest it can't be un-kicked.. Start fighting them and god knows where it goes..

Why would you need a jammer. They are legally required to allow the user to turn it off when they are using the car for personal use. They also have to demonstrate in writing to the user why they need to install the tracker in the first place.

sbsquarepants

I personally wouldn't agree to it, even with an off switch, i just don't like the idea. If it was their car, then fine do what you like to it - but mine, no.
Now don't get me wrong, i'm neither a car lover nor a work skiver - i just think it is overstepping the mark. Personal life and work life are different, too many companies try to blur the line, usually for their own benefit.

Uncle Ben

I've a tracker on the company van that I use. Unlike the OP I had no say in its installation and initially I was apprehensive. I don't regard myself as a slacker, however, the realization from the moment the key is switched on at 7.30am to lock up at 5.00pm is rather annoying in that the 'boss' could be watching. Now there are some valid points, for example, I was involved in a tip and the track proved that I was doing the correct speed and that I was definitely in the right, and secondly when a member of the public mixed my van up for someone else, I could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not involved in this persons accusation.

Now for the negatives, firstly, if your boss is going to install it he is going to watch it, regardless of what he says!!! Secondly, snapshots can be highlighted to monitor a driver against the rest of the employees.Then there is the habitual tea drinker, for example, if you use the same cafes/restaurants for your meals etc. the employer can see how often you frequent these places, how long you stay there, and what routes you may use to get there.Then there are the alarms, for instance how long your sitting in the car while idling or listening to the radio.How often did you speed through the 80km zone, how often did you enter into an area that your employer has no business in. There are many more advantages/disadvantages depending on if you are the employer or worker, for example if you claim mileage for fuel you can be sure there will be no more adding on the extra miles if this is fitted.

In conclusion I tolerate the tracker in my van because my boss owns the van. I certainly wouldn't let him put it in my private car.