are bosses allowed to check your hours ?

Question

i work as a sub-contractor at an oil terminal which you have to swipe in and out at the gate house for security reasons, ive heard through the grape vine that our project engineer is going to get a log of my times in and out at break times. how do i stand with the data protection act of privacy of my information and the fact it can cause me unwarranted and substantial damage or distress? thanks in advance

well we sit about all day waitin for permits, hell weve even sat for 7 days without a permit so when were not doing anything i go for a smoke break but its the other side of the gatehouse, even have to go out to use your mobile fone,

Answer 1

The data protection act doesn't apply in this case. The company you work for has every right to check what hours you have been working - that's what the swipe card system is there for. If you have been fiddling your break times then you are in trouble I'm afraid.

Answer 2

That is all a load of bollocks isn't it. As a sub contractor you are as bound by the rules of work and hours as the full time employees of the firm. Your contract will state what you are to do and the hours spent doing it. As long as you stick to your side of the contract ,no problem, but if you are sloping off when you ought to be on site then you deserve to be censured.. There is no privacy involved and how the hell can it cause you damage and distress unless you are doing another job when you should be at your contracted site. I don't think you have got a leg to stand on here,,, The employing company are entitled to know that the subcontractors they employ are on site when they should be and they are carrying out their allotted duties.

Answer 3

If you are taking legal breaks, there is no reason for concern. Any information that is garnered from the security data will just be a log of hours on and off the job. There is no reason for distress.

Answer 4

Your boss is allowed to verify your hours, since they're paying you based on the amount of work you put out.

If you're taking longer-than-allowed breaks and lunches, then your boss has the right to see just how long you weren't working out of the day and take appropriate action against you - either by disciplining you or paying you for less total worked hours.

There is no protection of privacy in this situation.

Answer 5

If you have to swipe in and out for security reasons then your bosses have every right to check your hours. the only way it can cause you unwarranted substantial damage or distress as you put it is if you have been falsifying your hours and they don't tally with your swipe card record!

Answer 6

Of course you boss can check your working hours - you can't stop them. Aside from health and safty issues, such as fire logs, that's the whole point of swiping yourself in or out.

If you're working the correct hours and not bunking off early or taking extended breaks, then you've nothing to worry about.

Answer 7

How is your information private here? And how would him knowing when you were taking breaks cause you unnwarranted and substantial damage or distress? Are you getting paid to do a job or aren't you?

If you're paid hourly, yes, your boss has a right to check your hours. Hell, even if you're salary, he does.

Answer 8

That is the whole point of a clock in and clock out system. You are contracted to work for the company for so many hours and if you are not working these, then you are in breach of the contract and can be given an official discplinary.

Answer 9

Companies are well within their rights to check time sheets etc, even if only to adhere to fire regulations. As for data protection......well I'm sorry to burst your bubble but the information you are talking about doesn't belong to you but the company you are sub-contracted to.

Answer 10

Certainly the company can check the logs of its access monitoring devices.

That's probably why they had them installed. When they issued you the card I'm sure there was no guarantee of privacy afforded you. Its their data...not yours.