What 1,000 Field Workers Told Us
Why privacy-concerned workers prefer GPS tracking, and what that means for your business
⬇ Download ReportWhen employers are approached with the idea of implementing GPS tracking technology into their workflow, several thoughts run through their mind…
Even while knowing that GPS tracking will improve their business operations, many employers do one of two things — they let their fears hold them back from using GPS systems that could save them thousands in disputed hours and mileage claims, or they roll out tracking quietly without their employees' consent.
Both practices are bred from assumptions that don't match reality.
To give employers a better understanding of how employees actually feel about GPS tracking at work, and to challenge widely held beliefs, we surveyed 1,000 U.S.-based field and mobile employees who currently use GPS tracking technology in the workplace.
The gap between what employers fear and workers' experiences with GPS tracking is significant. While many employers brace for backlash when the technology is introduced, most employees report being comfortable with GPS tracking during work hours.
Most workers view GPS tracking as a form of protection — a source of credible documentation during disputes, and not an invasion of privacy.
The four findings that follow reveal not just how workers think and feel about GPS tracking during work hours — but why those beliefs matter for hiring, retention, and day-to-day operations.
We surveyed workers across the industries where GPS tracking is most common and most controversial.
These findings go beyond surface-level opinions. They show how workers actually experience GPS tracking, and what that means for hiring, retention, risk management, and daily operations.
One of the top reasons why employers choose not to implement GPS tracking technology is fear of employee pushback. Which is understandable. The last thing employers want to do is cause tension within their teams or encounter high rates of turnover.
Employers will be surprised to find out that when we asked employees how they felt about GPS tracking, their answers showed something quite different than what employers believe.
Survey participants were asked, "On a scale of 1–5, how comfortable are you with GPS tracking during work hours?" Their responses were overwhelmingly positive.
We dug a little deeper and asked respondents how they view GPS tracking in the workplace. Most saw the technology as a practical part of the job. This was especially true in field-based roles where tracking time and location matter.
The takeaway: When employees understand why GPS tracking is being used at work, they are more likely to feel comfortable with the technology.
While the overall acceptance of GPS tracking across industries was high, several industries in particular were more readily accepting of GPS tracking.
In industries like plumbing, HVAC, and other field services that encounter frequent customer disputes and higher liability, employees were more accepting of GPS tracking technology. Workers in these fields appreciate the protection GPS provides — location-stamped records, detailed timesheets, and real-time visibility.
For high-risk industries, GPS tracking is valuable, as it captures details that manual records can't collect.
If you're an employer who is on the fence about introducing GPS tracking, don't worry so much about whether or not your workers will accept it. The statistics already show that the majority of workers are comfortable with GPS tracking at work and understand its importance in the workplace.
Even among workers who have mixed feelings about the technology, many still understand its purpose and value the protection it provides.
How you choose to introduce GPS tracking to your teams matters more than you realize.
An employer that thoroughly explains the why behind GPS tracking and takes the time to train employees on how to use the new technology will experience higher acceptance rates than an employer who secretly enables GPS tracking with no rollout at all.
How comfortable employees are with GPS tracking is heavily dependent on which approach employers take when introducing the technology.
84.9% of employees report being comfortable or very comfortable with GPS tracking when their employer was clear and transparent during the introduction.
69.6% of workers report feeling comfortable with GPS tracking when the employer offered a brief or vague introduction to the technology.
Significant, but not surprising, 52.2% of employees feel comfortable with GPS tracking when they found out about it after it was already in use.
If you want to get technical, the difference between a detailed, thorough introduction, and a secret rollout is 32.7 points — a major decrease in comfort levels based on the quality of introduction and communication alone.
32.7-point drop
driven entirely by communication and timing
Employees often object to using GPS tracking because they don't understand the reason behind why it's being used. When GPS tracking policies and procedures are not explained in detail, employees report feeling more discomfort with the technology.
Among workers who don't fully understand why GPS tracking is being used, 57.1% report neutral comfort (uncertainty, not hostility), 28.6% report feeling uncomfortable, and only 14.3% are very comfortable with GPS tracking at work.
This reinforces a key insight: Employees aren't opposed to GPS tracking itself. Rather, they are hesitant to embrace the technology when they don't understand its purpose in the workplace.
When asked to select their single biggest concern about GPS tracking, the most common response from respondents was:
Being tracked outside work hours — 22.8%
This concern outranks:
What does this information tell employers? Employees aren't as worried about whether or not your company uses GPS tracking as much as you thought. Their top concern isn't that their location is being tracked — it's not knowing when that tracking stops.
Being Tracked Outside Work Hours
Privacy Invasion
Data Misuse
Data Access & Security
Employer Trust
Even with their concerns regarding GPS tracking, employees don't automatically reject the technology — which is what employers often believe will happen.
Among workers whose top fear is being tracked outside of work hours, 75% are still comfortable with GPS during work hours, with only 7% reporting discomfort.
Despite having concerns about GPS tracking, when boundaries are defined and policies are clear, employees are more likely to feel comfortable using a GPS system at work.
How GPS is introduced matters just as much as the technology itself. Clear, honest communication helps set expectations, build trust, and avoid unnecessary pushback.
Before ImplementationWhen workers are approached with the idea of GPS tracking, privacy concerns naturally surface:
These sound like objections that would kill acceptance. But when we asked survey respondents how comfortable they are with GPS tracking despite having privacy concerns, the results were surprising:
88.4% of workers who are extremely concerned about privacy are still comfortable with GPS tracking.
This statistic is counterintuitive. Major privacy concerns should equal rejection of GPS tracking, shouldn't they? However, that isn't what we found to be true.
It isn't privacy concerns that keep employees from accepting GPS tracking. Most employees push back against GPS tracking for three reasons:
Privacy-conscious workers are generally skeptical of location tracking software. So why do these same employees report feeling comfortable with GPS tracking at work?
It all boils down to the ability employees have to access personal GPS data. Being able to see your own GPS data the same way managers see it increases your comfort and trust in the system. Instead of wondering if your data is being used against you, or doubting your manager's claims, you have free access to the same data.
How much information you share with your employees is up to you. But keep in mind — the more data access you grant to employees, including how often they are able to view their data, the more likely they are to accept GPS tracking.
% comfortable or very comfortable
When asked how important it is to access their own GPS data:
If you employ privacy-conscious workers who push back against GPS tracking, here's what you need to know. Among workers surveyed who are extremely concerned about privacy: 88.4% are still comfortable with GPS tracking and 70.6% prefer an employer with GPS tracking over one without.
The workers who care most about privacy are often the same employees who see GPS tracking as a form of protection against unfair treatment. Their concern isn't with the technology itself, but with how it's implemented, and whether or not they have access to their personal GPS data.
"This study shows that trust isn't about whether GPS exists. It's about whether expectations are clear. When employees understand when tracking happens, who can see the data, and how it's used, the tension drops. Transparency changes the conversation." — Barima Kwarteng, Founder and CEO @ Timeero
To reduce fears your employees have with GPS technology, make sure you have a clear GPS tracking policy in place, and be sure to dedicate time to training and onboarding your employees on new software systems. The more transparent you are with your company's GPS tracking practices, the more likely your employees are to accept GPS in the workplace.
You've finally decided to introduce GPS tracking to your workforce. Adding this new technology will help you avoid employee disputes and give you better insights into your team's daily operations.
But even with the many benefits GPS tracking provides, you still have one nagging worry — is the fact you require employees to use GPS tracking going to drive off new and prospective talent?
While some employees may shy away from GPS tracking, the good news for employers is that the majority of employees surveyed strongly preferred working for an employer that uses GPS technology rather than one without it.
What causes such strong preferences toward GPS-enabled employers? An employee's past experience with disputes during employment.
79.3% of field workers have direct or indirect experience with conflicts where GPS data could have mattered.
When an employee is involved in a work-related dispute, all kinds of thoughts and feelings surface. Employees can't believe their employer would accuse them of stealing company time, and managers are aggravated they have to spend so much time proving violations occurred.
In our survey:
That means 79.3% of field workers have direct or indirect experience with conflicts where GPS data could have mattered.
For employees who encountered multiple disputes, 74.6% of workers preferred GPS-enabled employers.
Why? Resolving disputes requires data and records, no matter which side of the problem you're on. When it comes to disagreements about:
GPS tracking provides irrefutable time and mileage records that manual tracking alone can't provide. This alone is the main reason employees with past dispute experience actively seek out employers who use GPS technology.
Percentage who prefer an employer with GPS tracking:
When employees have been involved in disputes, their experiences don't just disappear when they start a new job. More often than not they approach their new employer with an attitude of distrust and skepticism.
When we asked employees, "Do you trust GPS tracking data more or less than manager observations or customer reports?", employees who experienced multiple disputes reported they trust GPS data more than human judgment.
Overall trust breakdown:
This data tells us that workers trust GPS data nearly three times more than manager or customer observations. For employees who have dispute experience, GPS records are reliable and serve as defense during conflict.
Industries with high dispute rates are also the most accepting of GPS tracking. In environments where conflicts are routine and costly, workers don't see GPS as intrusive — they see it as a safeguard for fair treatment.
Here's how to turn that insight into a practical hiring and retention advantage:
The results of this survey make one thing clear: employees aren't as opposed to GPS tracking as employers believe. Acceptance is already high across industries, even among workers who have extreme privacy concerns.
What ultimately shapes trust isn't the presence of GPS tracking, but how transparently it's introduced, explained, and managed. Clear boundaries, shared access to data, and honest communication transform GPS from perceived surveillance into a form of protection.
When implemented with purpose, GPS tracking doesn't erode trust — it reinforces fairness, accountability, and confidence on both sides of the employment relationship.
Your workers are ready to embrace GPS tracking, are you prepared to implement it?
In November 2025, Timeero used PollFish to survey 1,000 U.S.-based field and mobile employees between the ages of 18-65+, who are currently employed by a company that uses GPS tracking as part of their work processes.
This survey measured employees' attitudes toward GPS tracking in the workplace. Participants were asked to rate their overall comfort with GPS tracking during work hours. Subsequent questions explored privacy concerns, how GPS tracking was introduced and communicated, access to location data, perceived fairness, and the role GPS plays in solving workplace disputes.
To identify meaningful patterns, responses were cross-analyzed across industries, dispute experience, privacy concern levels, and implementation practices. This approach allowed us to isolate which factors most strongly influence employee comfort, trust, and acceptance of GPS tracking technology.
The findings presented reflect trends observed across multiple variables rather than isolated responses, providing a comprehensive view of how GPS tracking is experienced by today's field workforce.
Timeero is a field workforce visibility platform designed for businesses with mobile and field-based teams. Using GPS-enabled technology, Timeero delivers accurate, verifiable records of hours worked, locations visited, and miles driven — helping organizations improve operational efficiency and productivity.
By replacing manual recordkeeping with automated time and mileage tracking, Timeero provides detailed, GPS-backed reports that reduce guesswork and subjectivity. This added clarity helps businesses minimize disputes, increase transparency across field operations, and protect both employers and workers from false or conflicting claims.
Today, Timeero is used by organizations across construction, field services, healthcare, delivery, property management, and other mobile industries to strengthen accountability while maintaining employee trust.
What managers ask after reading the data.
Comfort levels vary significantly based on how tracking was communicated. Workers who received a thorough explanation reported 84.9% comfort — compared to just 52.2% among those who found out after implementation. The technology is rarely the issue. The rollout is.
Not necessarily. The most common concern — being tracked outside work hours — was shared by 22.8% of workers, yet most never raise it directly. Silence doesn't equal acceptance. A written policy that clearly defines when tracking starts and stops can resolve this proactively.
The data strongly suggests yes. 72.6% of workers say access to their own GPS records is very or extremely important — and comfort levels are highest (87.9%) among workers who can access their data anytime. Transparency isn't just ethical, it's a practical trust-builder.
Yes — 79.3% of field workers have direct or indirect experience with disputes where GPS data would have been relevant. Over half (54.8%) have personally been involved in one. For field teams, disputes over hours, mileage, and time on-site are common, not exceptional.
Among workers who have experienced disputes, 74.6% actively prefer employers who use GPS technology — because it protects them too. GPS records provide workers with the same verifiable data employers rely on, making it a fairness tool as much as a management one.
Survey conducted November 2025 | Published February 2026 | © 2026 Timeero. All rights reserved.
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