When it comes to digital location services, one might be forgiven for wondering why it’s important for any employer to know where their staff members are. The answer is straightforward; When a company hires someone, it does so with the assurance that in return for their labour hours and service, it will make all reasonable efforts to ensure their safety and well-being, should they be working in-office or on-site/remotely. It is well understood that employers have a duty to assess risks in the workplace and have necessary measures prepared to tackle them, especially when in environments where there are known risks to staff wellbeing.

With the expansion of mobile/cell network infrastructure and the spread of smartphones worldwide, employers have a new and highly effective way to account for and communicate with their staff. However, how can they take advantage of digital tools to improve duty of care provision day to day and in emergencies using an application that can access staff location without infringing on user privacy and impacting employee trust?

Some key tips for employers looking to strengthen their broader duty of care and/or health and safety provision by implementing a digital staff safety system than includes a user location element:

• Be honest and straight-forward with employees regarding the circumstances under which their location may be shared.
• Ensure the digital safety platform chosen is user privacy-led, prioritising staff safety without using location services without their consent.
• Make sure the system chosen is robust and resilient, with all user data fully encrypted.

With these being unprecedented times, there is a need to ensure that employees, no matter where they work, should be able to feel a sense of security. They should be able to know that their company trusts them, respects their privacy, and has robust safeguarding measures in place. Any digital platform that includes a user location element must put staff privacy first or research indicates that they simply won’t use it or will refuse to download it.

If you are interested in privacy-led digital tool that delivers tangible improvements in duty of care provision please schedule a call with us today!