California technician pushes back after company demands he install a tracking app on his personal phone that monitors his location even when he's at home: ‘Who refuses to install it will be taken off the schedule’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Oct 9, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Since when does clocking out mean your boss still gets to know where you are?

I have a lot to say about this issue because I was in this same position a couple of years ago. I was working remotely for an overseas marketing agency, and at the beginning, it was fine. I had no major complaints, although some procedures were very off-putting, but I had worked for worse places, so I didn't think much of it. After six months in, the owner of the company sent an email informing us that we were going to download tracking software that was going to measure our productivity and other stuff.

I've heard of these programs, and I knew that many employers loved them, especially when having remote employees. The problem was that the software that they wanted us to install went beyond tracking our work… Firstly, I was working on my own personal computer, so they would have access to every single personal thing that I had. And secondly, the software would send daily reports to my employer about every site that I've visited, and even remember passwords.

Can you imagine? It was suddenly the biggest invasion of privacy that I had ever experienced in my life. Some of my coworkers and I said no and asked if we could at least get work computers. Since they refused and the work environment was worse after that, I ended up quitting. There was no way that I was going to have that program watching me all day long.

So, to this Californian employee who's unsure what to do… I'd investigate the program they want you to use and see what features it has. In theory, what the company wants is to see when he gets to the client's home to do the scheduled repairs, but why would they want to know when you're at home? What are they hiding? Ask questions, investigate, and then make a decision. 

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  • California technician working with network cables and server equipment.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    California technician working with network cables and server equipment.

    Image shown for illustrative purposes; person depicted is a model.

  • My employer requires me to install a tracking app on my personal phone
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Location: California. I work as a field technician. Our company has always used a paper sign-in sheet at the depot and a separate work-order system for service visits. This week management told us to install a new app on our personal phones. It asks for
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • location access set to "always" and says it can collect data in the background. The presentation said the purpose is to confirm arrival at customer sites, which makes sense during a shift. I asked whether I could turn off location access when I clock out,
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • and the trainer said the app has to remain active so it can sync overnight. She did not explain why a work visit needs my location when I am at home. We were told that anyone who refuses to install it will be taken off the schedule next week.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • I have not installed it yet. I asked for the privacy policy and a written explanation of what data is retained and who can see it. HR sent me a link to the app developer's general policy, which covers several products and does
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • not clearly describe our company's settings. We have company tablets in two vehicles, so there may be another way to check in, but management has not offered one. I don't want to
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • lose shifts because I asked a question, and I also dont want to hand over round-the-clock location access without understanding what is collected or how long it stays there. Are
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • there California rules that address an employer's use of tracking software on a worker's own phone? If the company can require the app during work hours, can it also require "always"
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • access after work? What should I ask HR to put in writing before deciding how to respond?
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Close-up of a smartphone displaying a location tracking app.
    via Unsplash+ (via Maxim Hopman)

    Close-up of a smartphone displaying a location tracking app.

    Featured likenesses do not identify those mentioned.

  • WH_Laundry_Cart 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. And then you have them reimburse you for that particular phone line. I would never put that app on my personal phone. I will get a cheap throwaway and put it on that
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Ceseuron I have a cheap used "work" phone with no service that only runs on WiFi. That's the ONLY phone I allow any employer to use. They don't get a say, they don't get to insist on using my personal phone, nothing. The phone I provide them is what they get. Never had an employer turn me down or fire me for it either. They want a phone to put something on, that's all.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • DiabloConQueso Legal, but if the employer is requiring you to use your personal device for work purposes, you'd be entitled to reasonable reimbursement for that (generally, some fraction of your cell phone bill).
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • CriminalBizzy This is a great example of why people need to dtop being so casual about using personal devices (not saying that OP is being casual) for business reasons. Employers are constantly blurring the lines between bussiness and personal making difficult to obtain compensation when situations like this come up because its widely accepted to just use what you already have.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • LouiseBelcher4life Ask them when your phone stipend kicks in. In California, when an employer requires you to use your phone for business purposes, they have to compensate you. It's in the labor code. I'd suggest filing a complaint with the labor board.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Dixa In California this is illegal. They can not track your location unless they own the device you are using. They also can not use location data to enact any type of discipline including termination in California unless again it's their device they are tracking.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • MightyMetricBatman Labor Code 2802 They can do this, but they have to pay you extra for it or provide a work owned device.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Field technician checking equipment in a server room.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    Field technician checking equipment in a server room.

    Stock photo unrelated.

  • Secret-Document-7068 It's a real bummer that you just broke your smartphone and now have just a candybar phone. I guess they will just have to figure it out.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • Salt Medicine2459 If you're using your personal device for work and the company is involved in litigation, the entire device could potentially become discoverable.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527
  • immallama21629 Why the h I is a company requiring a field tech to do anything with a personal phone? They should be providing a company phone.
    via u/GraniteMoth36527

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