Man fired after employers track his movements on GPS phone

John Halpin, a carpenter supervisor for the NYC school system, was fired for falsifying time records. His manager had been tracking Halpin's location on Halpin's GPS phone (provided by the school system) for five months, and noticed multiple discrepancies.

He said he was never told that the cellphone he was given in 2005 could be used to monitor his every move and questioned the accuracy of the data it produced.

But neither argument swayed administrative law Judge Tynia Richard, who found Halpin guilty of submitting false time records when he left early on numerous occasions between March and August 2006.

She issued a decision saying the Department of Education was under no obligation "to notify its employees of all the methods it may possibly use to uncover their misconduct."

Link

[#1 posted by Anonymous , September 3, 2007 11:23 AM]

I worked for an employer (construction) that had a gps tracking on the company phones that could tell when you were speeding in the work trucks. All clock ins and out needed to be from the worksite due to the gps.

[#2 posted by Flying Squid , September 3, 2007 11:52 AM]

Did you ever want to be monitored all your life?

Did you ever want to be kept on an electronic leash?

Did you ever want to get fired from your job when the boss wasn't even looking?

You will. And the company that will bring it to you? AT&T.

[#3 posted by Raian , September 3, 2007 11:58 AM]

I'm sure these are the same types of GPS phones that fail to record those days you've stayed late.

[#4 posted by Anonymous , September 3, 2007 12:10 PM]

Isn't the school district a government 'agent'? Could this not be construed as unreasonable search?

[#5 posted by Anonymous , September 3, 2007 1:01 PM]

Wow... talk about being completely snookered. I can imagine his face when he was told his phone ratted him out.

I personally think it's an obvious invasion of privacy. I think if you're being spied on all day you should be made aware of the fact and allowed to adjust your behaviour to suit. If you do not like being spied on you should be given the option of quiting before you are fired.

It's Big Brother time only it's managed by small time bureacrats with a little technology and just enough brain power to use it.

[#6 posted by Anonymous , September 3, 2007 1:07 PM]

I'm sorry but...the guy lied. If you lie, what is wrong with losing your job? Don't lie, people. It's simple.

[#7 posted by Dan B. , September 3, 2007 1:23 PM]

But Judge, I wouldn't have committed fraud if I knew I was going to get caught!

Novel defense, to be sure.

[#8 posted by Nato Welch , September 3, 2007 2:21 PM]

Wouldn't tracking serve as a better deterrent to bad behavior if the subjects knew about it?

I mean, what's more important: firing dishonest employees, or prompting them to be more honest?

[#9 posted by Anonymous , September 4, 2007 1:23 AM]

Well, he may "deserve" to lose his job for lying, but I'm sure the big fat lawsuit for invasion of privacy will make up for it.

[#10 posted by Crash! Bang! , September 4, 2007 6:32 AM]

people! we're losing sight of whats important here. the man has the largest forehead i have ever seen in my life!

[#11 posted by dculberson , September 4, 2007 9:01 AM]

All the school district employees should start leaving their phones at work. Since that's obviously where the district wants the phones to be.