Personal phone/work phone

[GeorgeandAde]

Hi.
Just wondering what members think.
I obviously have my own personal phone,plus I've been given a work phone(make/accept calls,send emails,a parking app etc...).

I now have an app which has been sent to my own phone to be used for clocking in/out each day,booking holidays etc...

I personally think that this app should be on my work phone.

Plus....they want me to have my "location" enabled whilst at work.

I have 2 online bank accounts on my own phone along with a building society account,Paypal and a lot of personal stuff.

I'm worried that with this new work app. it may compromise the security of my phone in some way.

Its called,"TMS" by "Mitrefinch".
What do you think?

 

[otherclive]

Hi.
Just wondering what members think.
I obviously have my own personal phone,plus I've been given a work phone(make/accept calls,send emails,a parking app etc...).

I now have an app which has been sent to my own phone to be used for clocking in/out each day,booking holidays etc...

I personally think that this app should be on my work phone.

Plus....they want me to have my "location" enabled whilst at work.

I have 2 online bank accounts on my own phone along with a building society account,Paypal and a lot of personal stuff.

I'm worried that with this new work app. it may compromise the security of my phone in some way.

Its called,"TMS" by "Mitrefinch".
What do you think?

Ask them why the app isn’t on the work phone with location enabled. If you did not have your own phone what would they do? My daughter keeps her phones and laptops entirely separate. No employer can insist on software going onto your personal phone unless it’s in your contract, but that would be highly unusual.

 

[Hutch]

If it is work related, it stays on just the work phone not your personal phone, but saying that does your work pay in anyway for your personal phone. .

 

[Beachball]

Ask them why the app isn’t on the work phone with location enabled. If you did not have your own phone what would they do? My daughter keeps her phones and laptops entirely separate. No employer can insist on software going onto your personal phone unless it’s in your contract, but that would be highly unusual.

I am in agreement with otherclive i would keep the phones and laptop separate .

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Thank you.
No,my employer doesn't pay anything towards the cost of my phone.

 

[Woodentop]

I would check with the operations people or HR and make sure they don't have your work and mobile numbers transposed in their records.

Equally, if they have a record of your personal mobile number I would suggest that you are within you rights to ask them to delete that record - or alternatively change your personal number.

If in doubt have a chat with Citizen's Advice (0800 144 8848 in England) or get a free 30 minute 'Green Form' consultation with your/a solicitor who knows about employment law, or your Union or professional body if you are a member.

After all if your employer is wanting to check your working times and your physical location at any time there must be a clause in your contract that reserves their right to do so, I doubt they can just dump it on you without your (written?) agreement. What happens for instance if you are on call and carry your work phone when you pop down to the shops or whatever - do they have the right to track you there? Believe me, it can be a minefield so take qualified advice.

 

[Jcloughie]

Can't you just download the app onto the works phone?

Problem then sorted.

You can read about the services HERE

It's quite involved, apart from the contractual point of view mentioned above, (which I personally would not have a problem with). You would have thought some training would have been provided.

John

 

[RogerL]

Hi.
Just wondering what members think.
I obviously have my own personal phone,plus I've been given a work phone(make/accept calls,send emails,a parking app etc...).

I now have an app which has been sent to my own phone to be used for clocking in/out each day,booking holidays etc...

I personally think that this app should be on my work phone.

Plus....they want me to have my "location" enabled whilst at work.

I have 2 online bank accounts on my own phone along with a building society account,Paypal and a lot of personal stuff.

I'm worried that with this new work app. it may compromise the security of my phone in some way.

Its called,"TMS" by "Mitrefinch".
What do you think?

Work stuff should be on your work phone - some people may choose not to have a personal phone, just a work phone.

 

[otherclive]

I would check with the operations people or HR and make sure they don't have your work and mobile numbers transposed in their records.

Equally, if they have a record of your personal mobile number I would suggest that you are within you rights to ask them to delete that record - or alternatively change your personal number.

If in doubt have a chat with Citizen's Advice (0800 144 8848 in England) or get a free 30 minute 'Green Form' consultation with your/a solicitor who knows about employment law, or your Union or professional body if you are a member.

After all if your employer is wanting to check your working times and your physical location at any time there must be a clause in your contract that reserves their right to do so, I doubt they can just dump it on you without your (written?) agreement. What happens for instance if you are on call and carry your work phone when you pop down to the shops or whatever - do they have the right to track you there? Believe me, it can be a minefield so take qualified advice.

I don’t know what the OPs line of work is but if he is on call unless his on call base is home there would not normally be a problem popping to the shops. Unless of course it should interfere with him doing his job. Again nothing wrong with an employer wanting to know your start and finish time and location. But as recommended it’s best initially to talk to HR before crashing around talking to unions and solicitors.

At times the forum seems like a branch of Litigants are Us. Any problem with any service or product demand redress under CRA 2015 or its predecessor. Always better to talk first.

PS Unless the work phone is on 24/7 I see no problem in a business having details of home and personal mobile. They may need to contact you urgently over a matter and if the work phone is off they have no other source.

 

[Jcloughie]

PS Unless the work phone is on 24/7 I see no problem in a business having details of home and personal mobile. They may need to contact you urgently over a matter and if the work phone is off they have no other source.

I agree, that why I put,

"I personally would not have a problem with it", in post #7

My employers have never misused my phone number. I even let some students, particularly vulnerable ones, have it. Again, never misused.

But companies should be up front, and not just 'expect'. And there is such a big difference between discussing/agreeing changes with employees and demanding.


John

 

[otherclive]

I agree, that why I put,

"I personally would not have a problem with it", in post #7

My employers have never misused my phone number. I even let some students, particularly vulnerable ones, have it. Again, never misused.

But companies should be up front, and not just 'expect'. And there is such a big difference between discussing/agreeing changes with employees and demanding.


John

I think I was answering Woodentops post and timelines don’t always coincide in sequence. It’s not infrequent that on occasions different people’s replies overlap it’s something we have to accept. Otherwise we could waste our time reminding others of what’s already been written.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Unless you have already agreed as part of your contract of employment, I don't think there is any reason why you should have accept a work related app on your personal phone, if your employer has already supplied a phone for work related communications. Also I think it would be breach of privacy if you employer could access data of any sort from your phone at times without your knowledge.

For all your employer may know you might share your personal phone with your spouse or other family members and thus you might not have it with you all the time so its location might not be your location.

I think you should discuss this with your employer.

 

[Beehpee]

If no other option tell your employer you can no longer afford the cost of running your own mobile, and you intend to cancel your contract or if it’s PAYG you can’t afford the monthly payments, delete any works apps on your personal phone and put them on the works one and I don’t see how they can argue, as far as having a tracking app on your work phone I have heard of this previously and I don’t think there’s much you can do other than outside working ours turn the phone off completely, people who work for companies that fit trackers will say it’s an infringement of privacy but because the vehicle belongs to the company there’s absolutely nothing they can do about it and the company can watch your every movement of your car, I would suggest this would apply just as much with a company mobile, your own phone is not company equipment.

BP

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Many thanks for replies.
As suggested,I think my first option is to ask my employer to transfer it to my work phone.

 

[Dustydog]

No one in the U.K. is required to possess a mobile phone. When I worked the firm supplied and fully funded one as indeed today do both my son and daughter’s employers.
Maybe something got lost in the translation as others have suggested.IMO your personal mobile phone is outside your entire contract of employment.

 

[littlebasher]

I wouldn't have a work app on my personal phone, on the basis that it's my own property. That's just me though and i can see the appeal of only having one phone to carry around all the time.

Some of my colleagues choose to, and there's definitely a push to do so from my employer. Fortunately my phone isn't on their 'approved' list for the Blackberry work app, so they have to buy me a separate phone for work!

 

[Beachball]

Hi.
Just wondering what members think.
I obviously have my own personal phone,plus I've been given a work phone(make/accept calls,send emails,a parking app etc...).

I now have an app which has been sent to my own phone to be used for clocking in/out each day,booking holidays etc...

I personally think that this app should be on my work phone.

Plus....they want me to have my "location" enabled whilst at work.

I have 2 online bank accounts on my own phone along with a building society account,Paypal and a lot of personal stuff.

I'm worried that with this new work app. it may compromise the security of my phone in some way.

Its called,"TMS" by "Mitrefinch".
What do you think?

When my wife was working as a health visitor she had a work phone and lap top supplied as part of the instruments for her job .These were specific for the role she had at that time, when home, she had a personal one and both work and lap top was redundant, keeping work and home life is important and so is the information also to do with this, I would not want all my personal details to impinge on the work day and am in agreement of keeping these separate.

 

[JTQ]

Many thanks for replies.
As suggested,I think my first option is to ask my employer to transfer it to my work phone.

Sounds by far the best initial action.
It is probably no more than a works admin mix up, best sorted as that rather than immediately blown into "an issue".

 

[Raywood]

Sounds like an error by your employer and the app should be on the works phone. Assuming your employer is of some size, I would think they will have checked out the security of the app as they want to protect their own systems. If it was sent incorrectly though you can delete the app as soon as you have it running on your works phone and presumably knowing what it is now you could probably download it yourself.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

This afternoon,I told my office manager that I no longer wanted this "app" on my personal phone.
She asked me why and I replied that one of my concerns was security on my phone.
She said she would make a note of my request and get it changed over.
I now have a months unpaid leave due to my wife's operation tomorrow,so will see what happens when I return to work.

 

[ProfJohnL]

This afternoon,I told my office manager that I no longer wanted this "app" on my personal phone.
She asked me why and I replied that one of my concerns was security on my phone.
She said she would make a note of my request and get it changed over.
I now have a months unpaid leave due to my wife's operation tomorrow,so will see what happens when I return to work.

I glad you have at least started the ball rolling, Since your first post on the subject I have tried to understand the logic of a company wanting you to use your phone and phone credit to facilitate your employers desire to validate attendance.

I have to say I think its a bit of a cheek the HR person asked you to explain why.

I hope it all gets sorted.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

To be honest Prof. she's just the manager in the office,not sure if she's connected to HR.

She's quite approachable and seemed to understand my point of view so hopefully everything will turn out fine.
Will know more in about 4 weeks time(after I've done my "care assistants" job with the wife).😇