Cell Phone GPS Records May Get Man Fired

John Halpin, a construction foreman for the New York Department of Education, should have left his work issued cell phone at work.  Accused of repeatedly leaving early before his shift ended, managers have built a case against him by using the GPS located within his cell phone to track his location when he should have been at work.  John Halpin has been accused of leaving work early as many as 83 times between March 2 and August 9, 2006. 

On March 8, for example, supervisors determined that Halpin was last in Manhattan at 1:31 p.m. and was home in Levittown, L.I., at 2:40 p.m. On March 29, Halpin was found at home at 2:38 p.m.

Administrative trial judge Tynia Richard has recommended the firing of John Halpin although some legal analysts are wondering what precedence this case will present for privacy laws.  John Halpin contends, that he wasn’t notified that the phone he was issued in 2005 contained the ability to track his movements. 

“The department [of Education] is not expected to notify its employees of all the methods it may possibly use to uncover their misconduct,” Richard decided.

Source: New York Post – ‘Track’ Trick – City Cellphone Follows Time Card Cheater Home