If you need to start tracking employees, approach this conversation with tact. Here are my tips:

Let employees manually track their location if they prefer. They deserve the option to manually document their location if they prefer not to be located through a smartphone or computer app. In some cases, it may make sense to use travel and expense data that has already been submitted by employees. Employees should also have the ability to review their location data before it is used for any compliance reasons. Further, they should be able to deactivate these applications when they travel for personal reasons.
Be transparent with employees about the data you are collecting. HR leaders should explain that the company needs to know which jurisdictions employees have spent time in so it can pay taxes or avoid penalties. HR should not collect or see any data on the specific addresses that an employee has visited. Employers only need low-resolution data on their whereabouts at a jurisdiction level—this information should not be any more detailed than what you would tell someone on a Zoom conference when they ask, "Where are you calling in from today?"
Tell employees how you will use the data. Where will it be stored—in the U.S., Europe, or elsewhere? Who will have access to the data? Who owns this data? How long will it be retained? Answer these questions and subject your location tracking program to third-party audits. This transparency will help employees to feel comfortable with who has access to their location information.

Privacy in the era of COVID-19

Working from anywhere is here to stay. It is appropriate to ask your employees for permission to record their whereabouts, but you must do so in a way that protects their privacy and personal information. Ensure that they understand it's not about trusting them to do their work, it's about ensuring the legal implications of this new normal are being taken into consideration.

Instant Insights /

Employee tracking: How to have the difficult conversation with your team

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