Collectives in tens and hundreds of thousands of people are difficult to manage. It is even more difficult to improve the effectiveness of such management. In order to collect data for analysis, corporations use modern methods of personnel control.

Is it possible to know what each employee of a company with more than 100,000 employees does? “Of course not!” – Most of the sane people will say, and they will be wrong. Modern technologies have reached heights, when a special system of personnel control can track the activities of tens and hundreds of thousands of people.

Correct functioning of such software requires a lot of corporation: a well-organized structure of the organization, progressive IT solutions, competent managers, capable of analyzing the data provided by the personnel control system, as well as the corresponding corporate culture that promotes effective work and dedication.

So, let’s talk about:

 Time tracking with screenshots systems

In the context of the article, we can divide the personnel control programs into fully automatic and semi-automated ones. The principal difference between these systems is that semi-automated personnel control systems will not be suitable for teams of several thousand people, not to mention international large companies. For example, systems that use time tracking with screenshots make it impossible to automatically analyze the time. Even for one employee typed more than 100 screenshots per week. This is 10 million shots for the collective of one hundred thousand people.

As for the first classification, everything is simple: spy systems are sharpened for security, and not for monitoring employees’ working hours. Accordingly, the goals of increasing the effectiveness of their work they will not help. Their goal is to prevent malicious acts inside the company.

Thus, the conclusion suggests that a global company needs a loyal personnel control system that will automatically analyze the employees’ working hours.

However, if you are running a small business with not more than 150 employees, you can test SCREENish time tracking with screenshots. You will find out how easy and effective this monitoring can be. Something more, you will enjoy the benefits of using SCREENish software just after 3 months of using this software. SCREENish is one of the best and easy to use professional systems for employees’ monitoring. Although, it is not popular as other time tracking with screenshots software, it also has its advantages.

First of all, when the employer wants to use time tracking with GPS, he should check what the law says about tracking individuals. GPS time tracking can be done in two different ways – installing GPS app in the employee’s smart phone or through GPS device in the vehicle, driven by the employee. And here comes the tricky moment! If the employer is tracking a company-owned vehicle in order to monitor the employee and verify that time records are accurate for instance, then there is no need to inform the employee that the vehicle has installed GPS time tracking system. However, if the vehicle is owned by the employee and he uses it to in his work, then the employer has the right to install GPS time tracking system only with the knowledge and agreement of the owner of the vehicle – the employee.

In some US states, however, it is considered that the employer violates employee’s privacy if he installs GPS software in a company-owned vehicle in order to monitor the employee. In the state of Illinois it is obligatory for the employer to inform the employee there is GPS time tracking system in the company used vehicle. In New York City is also considered to illegal and unreasonable to monitor the employee’ owned vehicle that he uses for work. The explanation is simple – through this GPS system the employee is been monitored not only in his working hours, but also in his free time.

The topic about tracking the employees via an app installed in their smart phones is even less clear. In fact, just 2 years ago a woman was fired from work because she uninstalled the GPS app from her smart phone. Of course, she sued the company and she won the case. We have to mention that the specific smart phone was given by the employer to the employee with the instruction it should be always turned on. This means the employer has been tracking the off-duty activities of the employees. So is installing GPS app to monitor the employees violates their privacy?

If the employer wants to benefit from GPS time tracking in order to maximize the efficiency of work, there are some principles he should follow. On the first place, he should be informed about the country or state regulations about GPS tracking of vehicles or smart phones of employees. Also, it is recommended to use GPS monitoring only in company-owned vehicles or smart phones. Moreover, he has to inform the employee that he is been monitored via time tracking software. Very important factor is to monitor the employee only to extent that is related to work. For sure, the employer needs a GPS tracking policy – the employee should know what the purpose of monitoring is, when and in what way he will be tracked and how the safeguard data will be used.

Employer has to inform the employees they are been monitored but he is not obligated to tell them what is the purpose of surveillance. There is an interested case in New York City when an employee was fired after time tracking information should he was often leaving the work place before the end of the work day. Still he was getting paid for the hours when he was supposed be working. This person sued the company because he was not informed he was monitored with time tracking system. He explained that if he knew that fact, he would never leave work before the end of the working day. He did not win the case because the employer was monitoring him during the working hours. Yet there would be no case at all if the employer had informed the employee for the use of tracking system.

It is recommended the GPS time tracking to be included in the policy of the company. Moreover, that policy has to explain the employees that the vehicle that has installed GPS tracking system should be used only for work, not for personal activities.

An important question is do you have the right to use GPS time tracking in a vehicle that is not your property. The answer is “Yes, you can install GPS system in another person’s vehicle, for example the vehicle of your employee, with the permission of the owner of the vehicle.” However, it is not recommended to do so because your employee will use his car not only for work but also for pleasure, and you don’t have the right to monitor him in his free time.

Sometimes when there is a case filed in court, both sides wonder whether the information from the GPS tracking system can be used prove some facts. We cannot give specific answer to this question because it depends on what fact you are trying to prove. With GPS tracking you can prove that the specific vehicle was on a specific place at 5 p.m. However, you cannot prove that the person “X” was the person, driving the vehicle.

If you install a GPS tracking system in a stranger’s car for example in order to track him, this would be illegal because this person has not given you the permission to track him. In fact, he may sue you and will win the case.

Keep in mind that the information given in this article cannot be accepted as professional legal advice. You may consult a lawyer before installing GPS tracking system in your company’s vehicles.