A California field technician said their employer has given workers a stark choice: install a tracking app on a personal phone with location set to "always" or be taken off the schedule.
Here's what to know
On Reddit's r/legaladvice, the worker said management introduced the app for field staff and warned that anyone who declined to install it would be "taken off the schedule."
After the worker asked whether location sharing could stop at clocking out, a trainer said, "The app has to remain active so it can sync overnight." However, with the app disclosing that it can collect data in the background, the OP said that requirement seems like much more than a simple arrival-verification tool.
They added that they never got a reason for off-duty tracking.
While they said arrival confirmation at customer sites "makes sense during a shift," the trainer did not explain "why a work visit needs my location when I am at home."
They also said HR did not provide employer-specific terms, sending only a link to the developer's broader policy instead of material showing what data the company collects, retains, or allows others to see.
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More background
The OP said the company may already have another option: two vehicles are equipped with company tablets. They added that the existing routine had long relied on a paper sign-in sheet at the depot plus a separate service-order system.
A common reaction in the comments was that the employer, not the employee, should bear the burden. One user said, "Uh, better yet, work wants something on a phone, work gives you a phone."
Some replies focused on money rather than privacy alone, arguing that mandatory use of a private device can shift business costs onto staff. One user referenced the 2014 case Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service, Inc., where the "court held that when employees must use their personal cell phones for work-related calls, Labor Code section 2802 requires the employer to reimburse them," according to Justia Law.
Another user flagged a litigation risk: once a personal phone is used for job-related tasks, the device could become discoverable if the company later goes to court.
What can be done?
Before agreeing to install the software, the worker said they asked for the privacy policy and "a written explanation of what data is retained and who can see it."
Several users said the safest practical move is to keep any required app off a primary personal device.
One advised, "I would consider getting a very cheap phone as a backup to carry with me and that's the only thing you download on it," while another said any required work phone should "stay at the office/shop to charge and 'sync' overnight."
Others argued the cleaner fix is for the employer to rely on its own hardware. A user added that tracking company vehicles would avoid 24/7 monitoring on a worker's personal device.
There were also calls for coworkers to raise the issue together instead of leaving one technician to challenge it alone.
One user said, if "a good chunk of the field staff are all asking for monthly bill reimbursement," the policy could become a cost management no longer wants to justify.
Where can I learn more?
Questions about how institutions use technology — and how much say workers or students really have — show up in plenty of other settings too.
• At Burger King, a dystopian new headset system drew backlash over AI-driven employee monitoring.
• At Apple, stock-compensation policy fallout left one former employee saying he had to walk away.
• At Boise State, a digital detox certificate aims to help students reclaim control from phones.
• Workers and students blasted absurd repercussions of company's electronic policy after corporate laptops were mishandled.
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