Trackers on vans - told they were just for insurance, but they are watching us...!

The_Magnificent_Spoon

Hi all,

We had trackers fitted to our vans a couple of months ago. We were at the time told that they were purely for insurance reasons, as company insurance went up quite a lot due to a couple of crashes (by an employee who has since left).

However, I've just been paid an hour less this month, and was immediately told it was because they checked the tracker and identified I finished a job early one day so went home a bit early as I'd had no more work to do that day.

I know that they are within their right to put trackers on the vans, and monitor them, and its not like I'm abusing them (I'm an extremely sensible driver, and that day was the only time I've finished early in months - and I went home as I'd started early and had a two hour drive home!), but surely there is an invasion of privacy if they have not told us they are monitoring travel as such, and infact explicitly denied it!

What would be the correct way to deal with this situation? I presume at the least i should insist that there should be official notice that they are monitoring us like this to all of the tracked employees?

Thanks!

ValHaller

Leave it for 3 months and put a Data Subject Access request in on them. It will cost you £10, but it will cost them a heck of a lot more. Perhaps they will decide it is not worth collecting the data.

ValHaller

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

But you have abused their trust and they could have possibly disciplined you if you put down X hours and they could prove you were lieing.

OP started early by more than he finished early, put the hours in and got the job done. Calling that abuse of trust is rather trivialising the idea.

Takeaway_Addict

ValHaller wrote: »

OP started early by more than he finished early, put the hours in and got the job done. Calling that abuse of trust is rather trivialising the idea.

Thats twice I've misread this week. Again apologies and yes I think they are being harsh if the OP started early (presuming they didn't claim for the early start)

However, I am very surprised the OP didn't think they would check hours?

The_Magnificent_Spoon

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Thats twice I've misread this week. Again apologies and yes I think they are being harsh if the OP started early (presuming they didn't claim for the early start)

However, I am very surprised the OP didn't think they would check hours?

Wow, you're pretty good at jumping to incorrect conclusions aren't you?

Many people would assume that you're just trolling.

Firstly, I did not misreport the hours. I specifically put the hours I actually did, however we should be paid for up to 5pm which is a whole other matter that im also looking into. So my finishing early should not have meant anything. Especially considering that our CEO specifically told us, in his exact words that if we finish a bit early (and gave the example of half to an hour) and have no more work on, that we can go home.

My issue is with the lies and complete disregard of our privacy. I would have no problem if they were honest about it, as i say i have nothing to hide and I'm probably one of the hardest working people around (80-90 hour weeks are not uncommon), but they specifically denied they were doing this. They are though, just they have not officially admitted to it (I caught them out with this).

The_Magnificent_Spoon

ValHaller wrote: »

Leave it for 3 months and put a Data Subject Access request in on them. It will cost you £10, but it will cost them a heck of a lot more. Perhaps they will decide it is not worth collecting the data.

It's an interesting idea - worth doing just to see the look on the guys face as he realises he has a mountain of paperwork to do!

Although a bit inflammatory I guess. Might keep that idea to one side!

Takeaway_Addict

The_Magnificent_Spoon wrote: »

Wow, you're pretty good at jumping to incorrect conclusions aren't you?

Many people would assume that you're just trolling.

Firstly, I did not misreport the hours. I specifically put the hours I actually did, however we should be paid for up to 5pm which is a whole other matter that im also looking into. So my finishing early should not have meant anything. Especially considering that our CEO specifically told us, in his exact words that if we finish a bit early (and gave the example of half to an hour) and have no more work on, that we can go home.

My issue is with the lies and complete disregard of our privacy. I would have no problem if they were honest about it, as i say i have nothing to hide and I'm probably one of the hardest working people around (80-90 hour weeks are not uncommon), but they specifically denied they were doing this. They are though, just they have not officially admitted to it (I caught them out with this).

Alas we all make mistakes, I just admitted mine and yet you still jump down my throat...maybe you should look at yours?

At the end of the day its really not that big of a deal is it, why can't you just accept its there?

And yes they lied, yes they should have had more guts to tell you its there for other reasons but they didn't....never made a mistake at work?

spacey2012

Time to withdraw that good will.
Sit on your backside and watch the clock.
Where you would get stuck in and get a job finished, well let it roll over to the next day.

Two can play that game.
Next will be speeding and using the vehicle for short trips to the shop.
Once they start, they dont stop.

Takeaway_Addict

spacey2012 wrote: »

Time to withdraw that good will.
Sit on your backside and watch the clock.
Where you would get stuck in and get a job finished, well let it roll over to the next day.

Two can play that game.
Next will be speeding and using the vehicle for short trips to the shop.
Once they start, they dont stop.

Yup, this will work for a few weeks before they notice and start down disciplinary or capability.

spacey2012

As long as what you are paid to do is done, let them eat cake.
When you run a business you rely on goodwill and loyalty, people do work harder than you pay them for.
Soon as you start the proverbial taking of the pizz, you find your business is now ruining to what is known as YPFWYG.
You pay for what you get.
It does not take much to pee of those that work for you and work loyal and hard.

tonyh66

drive 5-10 mph slower everywhere and blame it on traffic, lets see their trackers work that one out.