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Use of Global Positioning System (or Other Global Navigation Satellite Systems) in Employment Relationships

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Satellite-Based Earth Observation

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Abstract

Due to technical progress, GPS-based measures to facilitate work processes or to monitor and safeguard corporate property as well as their users are much easier to implement than before. On the one hand, these technologies bring a safety benefit (e.g. newly registered vehicles must be equipped with ecall-systems from 1.3.2018, which automatically set down an emergency call with the current location in case of accidents), but on the other hand there is the danger of being constantly monitored. If such systems are used in the employment relationship, several questions arise with regard to their admissibility, which will be dealt with in the following article.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Felten and Preis [1].

  2. 2.

    Brodil [2].

  3. 3.

    Reissner [3].

  4. 4.

    Rauch [4].

  5. 5.

    OGH 8 ObA 288/01p ARD 5359/3/2002; OGH 9 ObA 109/06d ARD 5754/1/2007.

  6. 6.

    Rauch [5].

  7. 7.

    Jabornegg [6].

  8. 8.

    In theory you can find advocates of a dual concept as well as of a triple concept. Using the dual concept you can distinguish if human dignity is either affected or is not affected at all. Authority of the works council is therefore appropriate not only if human dignity is violated but as soon as it is affected. Attainment of a works agreement introducing measures of control violating human dignity can therefore not overrule its illegality. If however consent to measures of control by the work council is missing, these measures of control can be regarded as void in reference to labor relations law. Additionally, the works council would gain injunctive relief as well as claim to removal. The triple concept only suggests authority of the works council if human dignity is affected. Following the triple concept, its advocates suggest that if human dignity is violated, works council is not in charge since this is unlawful anyway C.f. [7].

  9. 9.

    Binder [8].

  10. 10.

    Binder [9].

  11. 11.

    Binder [10].

  12. 12.

    Possible examples are video surveillance of toilets, GPS surveillance of company cars or company mobile phones during freetime or eavesdroping on telephone conversations (EA Linz 21.1.1976, Re 80/75).

  13. 13.

    Fingerprint systems for entering the workplace or time keeping (OGH 9 ObA 109/06d ARD 5754/1/2007), video surveillance that has employees constantly monitored as a side effect (OLG Wien 7.6.1995, 8 Ra 68/95) or automatic machines registering phone calls (OGH 8 ObA 288/01p ARD 5359/3/2002) are considered as touching the human dignity.

  14. 14.

    Meaning that to which extent personal rights are affected should not be exceeding the limits of control that any employment relationship implies. E.g. admission control and time keeping using a clock card (OGH 9 ObA 109/06d ARD 5754/1/2007), compulsory wearing of a company ID (VwGH 92/01/0927 ÖJZ 1994/4 A), video surveillance of areas where employees are not constantly present. If human dignity is not affected that does not imply that works council has no right to participation. Depending on the measure the following elements of an offense can be applied: § 96a ArbVG (Personnel Data or Evaluation Systems) or § 97 Abs 1 Z 1 ArbVG (General behavior regulations). The major difference in this case is, that works council consent can be replaced by a decision of a conciliation board set up at court.

  15. 15.

    OGH 9 ObA 109/06d ARD 5754/1/2007

  16. 16.

    OLG Wien 7.6.1995, 8 Ra 68/95 [11].

  17. 17.

    OGH 9 ObA 23/15w ARD 6452/6/2015 [12].

  18. 18.

    Binder [13].

  19. 19.

    Whether the mere subjective fear of employees is already sufficient given the lack of objective control of the system is seen as differentiated in teaching. C.f. [14].

  20. 20.

    This would be conceivable if signal transmission was encrypted and only accessible by an external security company. C.f. [15].

  21. 21.

    Halwax [16].

  22. 22.

    Jabornegg [17].

  23. 23.

    Goricnik [18].

  24. 24.

    Binder [19].

  25. 25.

    Binder [20].

  26. 26.

    Rauch [21].

  27. 27.

    Jabornegg [22].

  28. 28.

    Goricnik [23].

  29. 29.

    Risak [24].

  30. 30.

    Jabornegg [25].

  31. 31.

    Reissner [26].

  32. 32.

    Binder and Mair [27].

  33. 33.

    Binder and Mair [28].

  34. 34.

    Reissner[29].

  35. 35.

    Especially Art 8 EMRK, § 1 DSG, § 107a StGB, § 16 ABGB, § 1328a ABGB.

  36. 36.

    Gorincnik [30].

  37. 37.

    Reissner [31].

  38. 38.

    Rebhahn [32].

  39. 39.

    Inter alia Jabornegg [33].

  40. 40.

    Jabornegg [34].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Styrian Economic Chamber, Graz, Austria

    Georg Königsberger

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  1. Georg Königsberger
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Correspondence to Georg Königsberger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Competence Centre Space Law/Space Policy, Subpoint NPOC Austria/ECSL, University of Graz, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Christian Brünner

  2. Chamber of Commerce Steiermark, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Georg Königsberger

  3. Competence Centre Space Law/Space Policy, University of Graz, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Hannes Mayer

  4. Competence Centre Space Law/Space Policy, University of Graz, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Anita Rinner

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Königsberger, G. (2018). Use of Global Positioning System (or Other Global Navigation Satellite Systems) in Employment Relationships. In: Brünner, C., Königsberger, G., Mayer, H., Rinner, A. (eds) Satellite-Based Earth Observation . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74805-4_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74805-4_21

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