US sales executive sues bosses over mandatory tracking app
A sales executive employed by money transfer firm Intermex is suing her employers for unfair dismissal after being sacked for allegedly deleting an appwhich tracked her movements.
Myrna Arias complained that the software tracked employees even whilst off duty and so decided to remove it from her system – only to be fired a few weeks later after receiving a ‘scolding’ from superiors.
Employees were told to download the Xora app onto their phones in April of last year, ostensibly allowing bosses to ‘remotely manage’ their employees by tracking hours worked and GPS data.
In court documents published by Ars Technica Arias contests that her manager: “admitted that employees would be monitored while off-duty and bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments ever since she had installed the app on her phone".
"He confirmed that she was required to keep her phone's power on 24/7 to answer phone calls from clients.”
Arias claimed the app amounted to an invasion of privacy akin to an electronic tag and is seeking damages upwards of $500k.
Intermex has refused to comment.