By Greg Bartlett

Tempted to stop for Starbucks? Knowing that one of the many new GPS tracking systems is recording your movements causes you to think twice about it and decide to just go on with the delivery.

Whether in their cell phone or their vehicle, many companies are deciding to track the movements of their employees to ensure that they stay on schedule and keep working. Knowing that they have a system checking up on them will help workers to stay motivated and keep them focused on their work during work hours. Employees often waste time as soon as the boss’s back is turned and these kinds of systems would help companies run more efficiently and save them money in lost productivity.

One kind of system, Xora, even includes “geofences” that notifies the business when an employee visits one of the chosen off-limits areas, such as a bar, while on company time. Keeping mobile workers on task has been a challenge in the past, causing employers frustration that they are unsure of just how faithful their employees are. This new technology will lift that burden from employers around the country.

But it’s not all bad news for employees: these GPS tracking systems can also be used to track work hours, allowing employees to clock in and out from their phones. This will help them keep accurate records and they can trust that on payday they will receive every penny that they deserve for their hours of hard work.

GPS vehicle tracking systems might be resented by employees as an unneeded babysitter and an invasion of their personal privacy, but it is clearly the technology of the future. More and more companies are choosing these systems. Although many employees have loudly protested the switch, soon it will be much more common and widely accepted by employees.

As for their personal rights, while it is scary to know that your boss has the capability to watch your every move, businesses that use GPS tracking systems will have detailed privacy laws concerning them. For example, these devices can be turned off during lunch breaks and after hours to protect the privacy of the employees.

In the next few years, employers and employees from companies around the country and around the world will be coming together to compromise about these tracking systems, and soon it will be a integral part of the mobile worker’s job.