Two years after anger from construction union members who feared Mobile-Punch timetable management software would invade their privacy, we learn that the application can indeed be used by employees who accept it.
In May 2021, the app became the focus of an unprecedented industrial dispute in the construction industry, to the point where its use threatened to send around 190,000 union members on strike.
However, last Tuesday’s 64-page decision by Arbitration Tribunal Arbitration Tribunal Alain Turcotte confirmed that the management software can be used with certain beacons.
“For us, this is a victory for the employers who can put these systems in place. We cannot force employees, but those who install it can use it,” responded Guillaume Houle, spokesman for the Association de la Construction du Québec (ACQ).
“It saves money and energy for companies. We will be able to automate the gathering of information from timesheets,” he points out.
Electronic Time Sheet
Basically, the Mobile Punch application helps employers who have “challenges with timesheets, schedules, project distribution.”
“When punching, we do the geolocation. The application does not give the employer access to the employee’s photos, emails and text messages,” Jérôme Guay, president of time tracking app Mobile-Punch, recalled yesterday.
“You can’t continuously track employees with this software,” he added.
According to a survey conducted by the company and Leger, more than 77% of workers prefer mobile punch applications to paper.
For Phillippe Ferri, co-owner of Fero Rénovation, the Mobile Punch application is an asset. He was surprised by the outcry in May 2021, he says, because his own employees liked him from the start.
“Workers can use the application to find out which location awaits them, even on a Sunday evening, and have a map on their phone to get there the next day. It’s very useful,” he says.
Prudent unions
Polled by Le Journal yesterday, FTQ-Construction was sparing with comments on the issue that was at the heart of discussions at the last collective bargaining session.
“We are currently reviewing the decision and will respond promptly,” the union said.
For its part, the Quebec Construction Industry Council (Inter) welcomed elements of the arbitral award related to the importance of maintaining the security of worker data.
“We welcome what the ruling says on cybersecurity, but we want to take the time to read it carefully with our lawyers to understand its implications,” said Director General Patrick Bérubé.
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