GPS mileage apps are quickly becoming the preferred way businesses and independent contractors track mileage for work and tax purposes. However, these apps also raise privacy concerns. Let's explore how to ensure an app protects employee privacy.
GPS mileage apps – reduce fuel costs while protecting privacy
A mileage log lists trips and mileage amounts for reimbursement purposes. At least, that’s how many businesses and their employees look at it. But a mileage log doesn’t have to be just a mileage log. It can also be a treasure trove of data that can enhance your business while saving time and money.
Most businesses overlook ways mileage tracking can provide valuable data about sales and employee behavior while practically eliminating administrative time spent on mileage reimbursements. Today's GPS mileage tracking apps can automate mileage tracking while integrating with existing CRM software and expense management systems.
In this era of high gas prices, this new generation of mileage logs can provide the accountability and transparency needed to rein in company gas costs. But how does an organization gain transparency and convenience without violating employee privacy?
Benefits of GPS mileage tracking apps
There are many business benefits to using GPS location services for mobile employees:
- Logging and calculating business mileage for reimbursements
- Measuring and monitoring overtime for labor law compliance
- Supporting personal use chargeback policies for company cars
- Leveraging trip data to coach and develop underperforming reps
- Avoiding over-reimbursement due to inaccurate estimates
- Saving time by automating administrative processes
However, with such a powerful tool comes increased access to an employee’s private life.
GPS apps and employee privacy concerns
GPS technology can make some employees feel they are being watched by “Big Brother” while on the job. And managers may not want to support a tool that could virtually put them in the position of looking over each employee’s shoulder.
However, our survey found that most employees see the benefits of a convenient mileage tracker outweighing the possible loss of privacy. Of our respondents, 81% said they would support their employer tracking their business mileage if it meant receiving full reimbursement of vehicle expenses.
It is important to realize that the other 19% could make a big difference within an organization. That is a large number of people who might react negatively. You want to steward the trust of all employees and make everyone feel they are treated fairly.
So, even if most employees do not have privacy concerns, choosing a mileage app that limits employee visibility to the company is still important.
Reducing fuel consumption while preserving employee trust
With the proliferation of business tools in the form of mobile apps, employers have more access to their employees than ever before. This access provides the transparency necessary to hold employees accountable for productive fuel consumption. Stewarding this access appropriately should be a high priority.
When employers use GPS to monitor employees, they should implement a best practices checklist to comply with the law and ensure that employee trust is not violated. Because the law is less clear regarding tracking employees' locations through smartphones than it is regarding monitoring company vehicles, developing protective policies and procedures is highly important.
The mBurse solution can preserve this trust without complicated rules and procedures. We offer a GPS mileage tracking app, mLog, that DOES NOT violate employee privacy. This app creates a fence between the employee's real-time whereabouts and reported trips. Employees can always review and edit trips before their mileage is submitted for reimbursement.
Contact mBurse for an mLog demo below.
