to object to my colleague having access to my car tracker

[posypom]

I have a company car which has a tracker in it for "corporate manslaughter reasons", although I know they're also used to check that people are doing what they say they're doing. I don't mind having it (although I know some people do) because previously only my boss and HR had access to it and I do my job honestly and properly - I have nothing to hide. Plus I know neither of them have the time or inclination to look at what I get up to on evenings and weekends (which is rarely anything exciting but that's not the point!).

We have a new sales manager who told me that he'd asked our boss for access to his team's car trackers as he believed one of the team was not doing their job. He then went on to say that he'd been given access to ALL the company car trackers, including mine.

AIBU to be a bit cross about this on the grounds of privacy? He's not my boss or HR. Although I'm pretty certain he's on a higher salary than me, he's not technically senior to me as we both report to the same person, although in different roles. I doubt he'd use the information for anything "untoward" but I feel a bit uneasy that the information was given to him firstly when he doesn't need it or have any right to have it and secondly without anyone actually telling me. At the moment I don't believe any of the other sales managers in the company have access to the trackers but now that he has it I wouldn't be surprised if all the other managers ask for the same info so they can keep tabs on their teams.

AIBU or should I just forget about it and get on with my job?

Info on company cars and corporate manslaughter:

Company cars: How can HR deal with the administration of fleet management? from Personnel Today.

Driving at work Managing work-related road safety by the Health & Safety Executive.

The latter suggests tachographs to record speeds, not location trackers.

If he doesn't / wouldn't look at your info, he shouldn't have access to it. Can't believe that couldn't be bocked if someone put their mind to it. Even if you trust him, you might not trust his successor if someone else takes over his role in the future. I wouldn't want him knowing where I live. Surprised he / HR doesn't see your point of view.

Suggest you do some research on data protection. If you have legal expenses insurance as part of your home insurance policy, then your insurers may pay for a lawyer to investigate this for you

Absolutely you are NBU! You should speak to HR and explain on personal safety grounds that it is unacceptable for this guy to have access to your whereabouts in evenings, weekends etc. I would actually object to ANYONE having access to that information.

I don't know..if you've got nothing to hide then what's the problem?

In language HR will understand: if someone wrongly has access to your personal data (wrong person, wrong reason, disproportionate data, disproportionate access, etc) and harm comes of it, they will be facing a major lawsuit.

If it is a company car they can pretty much do what they want with the information surely? It's your choice whether you use the car and therefore reveal personal infromation about your whereabouts. Which company supplied the Trackers, BTW?

If you work on that principal ealing then salary information belongs to the company. SO would you be happy if they decided to release that to all and sundry.

TBH I probably wouldn't be bothered myself. Presumably you only use the car as you are supoosed to and it isn't to do with your private life therfore it isn't private if you see what I mean?

YANBU I ould be annoyed at people being given access to info like this too.

Though I think some people forget/don't realise that for most people a company car is part of your salary package, a benefit. Therefore you're perfectly entitled to use it outside of work.

The comapny I work for have so far resisted having trackers in cars but we are considering it for several reaons.

It means we can locate engineers (we are plumbers too) when they are on their way to jobs. So if a customer says they left site at 2.00pm and they are claiming they left site at 3.00pm for example. Apparently it can b linked into software that helps plan jobs/sned engineers out for thoise with more technology than we have!!!

Also our accountant has advised us that the inland revenue are clamping down on company cars, with regards to tax. We have to prove they don't use the vans for personal use or they are liable for tax for example.

If a company car is provided I guess it is up to the company whether they fit trackers and who has access to the tracker info. if our compnay get them we will allocate someone to look after it all, probably one of the office staff. As it is I look after the petrol account so I hope it won't be me!

Certain people in the company will be privy to the car location and salary information, is it a management issue as to who gets to see what. posypom may not like who gets to see what, but the company pay money to have the information to help incentivise their staff to do their jobs properly and to provide tracking information in the event of a vehicle theft. If however her manager agrees that this other guy should not have access to her information then there are ways of achieving this, depending on the tracking system provider and their own internal procedures.

I'm surprised that people aren't concerned that their employer is willing to give out every detail of daily movements. I'd be furious, the sales manager could be doing anything with the information and telling all and sundry where you go, how long you stay there, what time you come and go - the implications are huge.

A company car can be used for private purposes but its a vast step to say that the employer can therefore track you 24/7.

The more I think about it the more appalled I am.

They can track you 24/7 only if you use your company car, it is in their (the company's) best interest to be discrete with the information so as not to completely demotivate their staff.

Yes, Ealingkate, but I don't suppose many people would have a 2nd car to use outside of work for private trips. I totally agree that the employer is entitled to make sure that the vehicle is used properly during working hours but I'd resent anyone being able to find out if I had broken the speed limit at 3am on a deserted motorway for example.

It doesn't sound like this employer is giving any thought to how employees might feel.

I've got a response back from HR. Cromer has advised them that "it is perfectly acceptable for the Directors of the Company to allow responsible senior managers of the business to access the tracker information. This information will of course remain confidential. You will shortly be taking maternity leave and during this time it is acceptable for the trackers to be monitored on the basis that it is a Company Car, taxed and insured by the Company and on the basis that we still have a duty of care to ensure the employee is driving within our insurance provider requirements and adhering to applicable laws and regulations."

So I don't know what I was worried about - the Directors have decided that the sales managers are responsible so I should have no cause for concern at all!

The tracker policy does not mention anything about the fact they are collecting personal data or that they intend to comply with data protection legislation.

I don't have another car (apart from DH's but I don't like driving it) so I use the company car for everything. I won't stop doing that, it's just the whole thing irritates me!

Don't know whether to make a fuss or just let it lie.

Make a fuss, take it to the Information Commissioner's office and ask their advice. Put simply, your company are quite likely breaking the law. But it's up to you whether or not you think the resulting play out is going to be worth the effort.

I called the Information Commissioner's office for advice and they said that as the sales managers don't need access to the trackers then that would mean they were breaching the DPA, but it's up to me how far I want to take it. If my company refuses to do anything about it then I'd have to lodge a complaint with the IC who would then require them to justify why these people had access to the information.

My boss is in a meeting now but I'll try and catch him tomorrow to ask him about it.

I'm not going to go as far as lodging a complaint (need to keep them sweet as I'm taking a full year of ML which, so far, they've been great about.) but HR needs a kick up the backside. Can't believe they think I wouldn't have a problem with it!

Might be useful to make a DPA subject access request to find out exactly what data they've collected on you and how long they keep it for. You'll also learn who the Data Controller is for this info, so can ask how it's kept and under what security.

They sound sans clue, so this might help them get their heads round their legal requirements.

Just managed to catch my boss - he's already spoken to HR and they're restricting the sales managers' access to only the people they line manage.

Yes, ThisIsANiceCage, they are a little clueless and your advice sounds like a good idea but I'm grateful they've listened to me so far so I think I might just count this as a victory and be done with the whole thing.

Phew!

Well done you. Just goes to show, a little effort and they can come up with a decent compromise.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I probably would've just stewed in silence but I'm glad I raised it now.