When you have employees working remotely, it can be stressful making sure they are doing the tasks that need to be done for your company. You may go to some extreme measures to make sure they are where they’re supposed to be and working on the correct task or project. However, this can lead to legal issues that will harm your company as opposed to helping it.

By using online time and attendance software, you can have your employees punch in and out in real-time, process accurate payroll, and even capture their picture or location.

When you start letting your employees work from home, you will need to consider many things that may get your business into trouble. An online time and attendance program can help you avoid some more common legal problems. However, you will want to be sure the software you choose will help you avoid those legal issues while also accurately tracking employee work hours and time off.

Not all time clock solutions are the same, and certain ones will work better for your employees who work from home or who are out in the field.

Is GPS Legal For Remote Employees?

This can be a tricky question. The answer is it can be illegal if you go about it the wrong way. However, if you choose the right time tracking system, it will help you avoid any legal issues. So, yes, and no, it is legal. Here is what you can do to prevent any sticky situations that might occur.

GPS Tracking

First and foremost, you will need to choose the right employee timesheet software that allows employees to punch time from their phones or laptops. Doing so will allow you to capture the GPS location at certain times of the day, such as when an employee is punching in or out or switching between jobs.

Agree to Terms

You will need to ensure that every employee knows exactly what is being tracked. This includes why they are being tracked, when they are being tracked, and who receives the information. The best way to do that is to draw up a contract for your employees to review and sign. After that, they will have to agree to the terms and conditions of the time clock attendance app on the device itself. This will help you stay out of trouble and set boundaries for your employees.

IP Address

If you have employees who work from home and are not driving around, some of these job clock applications will allow you to restrict their punching capabilities to a specific IP address. Doing so allows you to ensure that employees are punching time only from pre-approved locations without violating their privacy.

There are easy ways to avoid legal issues. Most of them can be avoided using work tracking software and setting it up to only track your employees when they know about it and when it’s necessary. This means every time an employee punches into their shift remotely; they’ll understand precisely if their location information is being captured. Any location information tracked outside of the specified time frames can be considered illegal.

When Is It Illegal to Track Your Remote Employees?

Anytime an employee is not clocked into the time keeper app, it is illegal to track them. They agree to the terms and conditions, and it is their responsibility to read everything very carefully. However, as an employer, you must respect their privacy.

Any GPS tracking that your employee is not aware of is an invasion of privacy, and you must not do it. You can easily set up your online time and attendance software to automatically stop as soon as an employee punches out. This will help you avoid any messy situations.

Final Thoughts

Running a business is tedious work. Being able to keep track of remote employees is crucial but can be scary. Especially when you must think about legal consequences. Using an online time and attendance app can make this a lot more straightforward for you and help set clear boundaries. The employees will know their time is still accounted for, and you will get regular updates as to where they are and when they are on and off the clock. This can save you a lot of headaches in the future.

Patents are a complicated thing. However, they are worth all of the complex issues that come along with a patent because they give you the protection you need against your invention.

Basic Facts About Patents

Patent is issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The two main common types of patents include the utility patent and the design patent.

A utility patent is granted to anyone that invents or discovers any useful and new process, machine, article of manufacture or composition of matter, according to the United State Patent and Trademark Office.

A design patent defined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is granted to anyone who invents a new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.

Expiration of Patents

The current standard term of patents have been in full force since June 8, 1995. That is when the United States Patent and Trademark Office adjusted the terms for patents to expire every 20 years. It was originally 17 years.

However, various factors can adjust this standard expiration term. Surprisingly, it isn’t as cut and dry as you may think.

Things to impact the expiration term of a patent include:

– Patent application type (utility or design patent)

– When the patent was filed

– The date the patent was issued

A utility patent expire in 20 years, but may be required to pay maintenance fees over time. Where a design patent expires after 15 years, but usually don’t require maintenance fees over time.

It can sometimes be hard to calculate accurately when a patent is set to expire. This is an important thing to know so you can chose to renew your patent in plenty of time. Working with a patent attorney can help you take out all of the doubt you have over your patent.

Working with a Patent Attorney

If you are thinking of applying for a patent or have questions regarding an existing patent, you should always discuss things with a trusted patent attorney in Phoenix. Legal advice is very valuable during the patent application, while owning a patent, and renewing a patent.