Can my employer tell me to turn off track and trace while in work

Aranyani

britishboy said:

Thanks all, theres loads of posters up saying we are 'Covid safe' and 'Covid secure', but in reality, the first part of the site is all one way pedestrianised walkways to look good for anyone looking in, yet in the centre of site, and internally, you still have to squeeze past a group of 7 or 8 managers stood blocking a walkway on most days

Can you not say ‘excuse me’ and wait until they stand aside?  That’s what I’d do (and have done fairly often since March in various places!)

[Deleted User]

Sorry am i missing something here? Surely if you’re in your office after being in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid it’s still valid that you are alerted and that those around you are alerted accordingly. I realise the inconveniences that this brings for a business but surely safety comes first.

od244051

My employer has told those who have the app to disable it when on the tills as may get false alerts.

I don't have the app as I can detect my neighbour's (downstairs) bluetooth devices from my flat.

Tokmon

Deleted_User said:

Sorry am i missing something here? Surely if you’re in your office after being in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid it’s still valid that you are alerted and that those around you are alerted accordingly. I realise the inconveniences that this brings for a business but surely safety comes first.

Lots of workplaces are managing contact tracing themselves so they will be informed when an employee has tested positive and then will tell all contacts at work to isolate. This is how my workplace is doing it and there has been no confirmed transmission between employees so seems to be working well so no need for the app.

od244051 said:

My employer has told those who have the app to disable it when on the tills as may get false alerts.

I don't have the app as I can detect my neighbour's (downstairs) bluetooth devices from my flat.

Just because you can detect the device doesn't mean it will generate an alert. It only generates an alert when you have been in close contact to someone for an extended period and it does this by measuring signal strength. The signal strength of the Bluetooth from someone downstairs will be measurably lower than someone in the same room so shouldn't trigger the alert. Even if you were worried about that then you simply turn the tracing off when at home (which is sensible anyway) and it doesn't stop you from using it when you go out.

mobilejo

As usual, loads of opinions in the replies but little reference to the actual law that determines what an employer actually can and can't do.

A 'request' may seem reasonable in certain settings - especially those in the NHS. That's just my opinion.

But insisting on an employee not using a particular app on a personal phone, if the employee doesn't want to comply? Opinions are irrelevant here. Does the employer already have a contractual policy that gives this sort of power, or one that can be used to achieve it e.g. 'all phones must be turned off'? If not, can the employer impose new workplace policies unilaterally? That will depend on the employment contract. 

If its important to you, there is no need to blindly comply like a sheep as suggested b some of the replies here - find out the legal position first based on your own contract. Too many employees do just comply and are happily treated like crap because they are indoctrinated to 'just be grateful to have a job'.  

Tokmon

mobilejo said:

As usual, loads of opinions in the replies but little reference to the actual law that determines what an employer actually can and can't do.

A 'request' may seem reasonable in certain settings - especially those in the NHS. That's just my opinion.

But insisting on an employee not using a particular app on a personal phone, if the employee doesn't want to comply? Opinions are irrelevant here. Does the employer already have a contractual policy that gives this sort of power, or one that can be used to achieve it e.g. 'all phones must be turned off'? If not, can the employer impose new workplace policies unilaterally? That will depend on the employment contract. 

If its important to you, there is no need to blindly comply like a sheep as suggested b some of the replies here - find out the legal position first based on your own contract. Too many employees do just comply and are happily treated like crap because they are indoctrinated to 'just be grateful to have a job'.  

It's common sense that you should turn off the app when the phone is stored in a locker and not on your person. The whole idea of the app is to trace who you have come into contact with when the phone is with you. Tracking who was in contact with the phone when it was nowhere near you isn't helpful at all. So the employer telling someone to turn it off when they are at work and won't have their phone with them in a locker is perfectly reasonable and what the employee should be doing anyway if the had any sense. But i don't see how being told to do something that is common sense is being treated like crap?

finalfantasist

mobilejo said:

If its important to you, there is no need to blindly comply like a sheep as suggested b some of the replies here - find out the legal position first based on your own contract. Too many employees do just comply and are happily treated like crap because they are indoctrinated to 'just be grateful to have a job'.  

Ther are times when you should stand your ground and times when doing so makes you look like a twit.

This would appear to be one of the times that doing so makes you look like a twit.

Grumpy_chap

mobilejo said:

the actual law that determines what an employer actually can and can't do.

But insisting on an employee not using a particular app on a personal phone, if the employee doesn't want to comply? Opinions are irrelevant here. Does the employer already have a contractual policy that gives this sort of power, or one that can be used to achieve it e.g. 'all phones must be turned off'? If not, can the employer impose new workplace policies unilaterally? That will depend on the employment contract.

There are two types of phone.

A business phone provided by the employer.  This is a company asset and the company has every right to stipulate what applications are or are not permitted to be installed.  It is absolutely the employer's right to determine that a specific app is not to be installed on business phones.  I have never worked for any company where the IT policy does not cover this scenario.

A personal phone owned by the employee.  The employer cannot stipulate what is or is not installed on the phone.  The employer does have every right to stipulate that personal phones must not be used at the work place / during work time.  This can include a requirement that personal phones are switched off or left in car / locker / coat pockets etc.  If the phone is off, it is immaterial what apps may be installed on the phone.  I have never worked at any company where this is not covered in the handbook and, if it were not, the employer can amend this type of matter at the employer's sole discretion.

Shocking discovery:  People are at work to work for the employer, not to natter to their best friend / Mum, partner, etc.

yksi

It isn't going to be accurate while sitting in your locker anyway. In theory (and so they have claimed), it should only trigger if you spend a good 15 minutes in close proximity with someone who tests positive. So someone walking past should not even cause an alert.

In December mine registered that I'd been in contact with someone but did not tell me to isolate. I work on a checkout, so it was probably a customer, but even while behind a screen we don't spend 15 minutes with each customer. Even so, I did stay home and try to book a test (I had cold symptoms but no "covid" symptoms) and lo and behold I was not eligible because all I had was a sniffle, tired and felt achy. So I tried lying to say that I had altered taste, and after FIFTEEN pages of questions I did not pass the identity check so could not have a home test. The nearest testing centre with capacity would have required two hours of driving. On my third day the constant runny nose was into my chest (you can't help inhaling it as you sleep) so I was coughing constantly, a cough that lingered for weeks. Still no temperature. I ended up staying home for ten days with no sick pay as I had not actually had Covid diagnosed. I'm in my 40s and overweight, but this was not the level of illness that ever had me worried about needing a hospital. The thing is, reports are cropping up in the media everywhere now of people who've tested positive without having a temperature or altered taste who really just felt like they had a cold (just like me). Did I have it? Maybe. Probably. But bureaucracy made sure I couldn't get a test and I lost a week and a half of pay.

I disabled the app permanently after that in disgust.

Marvel1

Some people actucally believe by walking past it will detect a contact? Lol
My phone must have many contacts when shopping!