Glossary · Devices
BYOD (bring your own device)
BYOD, short for bring your own device, is a policy where employees use their own phones for work instead of company-issued ones. For time tracking it means a worker clocks in through an app on a personal phone, which raises questions about cost, battery, privacy and who pays for the data.
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What does BYOD mean for time tracking?
BYOD time tracking means the clock is an app on a worker's own phone. The company avoids buying a device, but takes on questions it did not have before: the worker's data plan, battery, phone model and what the app can see.
| Question | BYOD phone | Company-issued badge |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the device | The worker | The company |
| Who pays for data | The worker, unless reimbursed | The company, on the badge's own plan |
| Is an app or login needed | Yes, on the worker's phone | No, the worker only carries it |
| What does the company see | Whatever the app collects on a personal phone | Reports from a device used only on paid shifts |
What does BYOD look like on a jobsite?
A laborer on a crew of eight has an older phone with a cracked screen and a low-storage plan. The app needs location on and a charged battery all day, and the first time the phone dies at 1 PM the shift record has a hole in it. On the same crew, one worker has no smartphone at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is BYOD cheaper than issuing devices?
Does an employer have to reimburse a worker for using a personal phone?
Can workers refuse to install a time tracking app?
Sources
- 1.California Labor Code section 2802, Employer indemnification of employee · California Legislative Information
- 2.Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service, Inc. (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 1137 · California Court of Appeal
