142 Copyright © 2013, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 8 INTRODUCTION Recent technological innovations such as the In- ternet, wireless communications and the Global Positioning System (GPS) have produced fun- damental changes in the workplace by offering invaluable possibilities to facilitate and enhance employee productivity. However, such techno- logical advances can be double-edged swords, as their capabilities also give employers the ability to monitor employee activities, as in the case of GPS placed in employer-owned mobile phones, smart phones, ID-cards, laptop computers, and automobiles, as employers can effectively track employees when they leave the office whether on business or personal excursions. Likewise, through computer network monitoring systems, employers can track all the Web pages visited by employees, along with the duration of each visit, and what files are saved, along with the content of emails sent Fereniki Panagopoulou-Koutnatzi 1 Data Protection Authority, Greece & Univeristy of Piraeus, Greece The Monitoring of Employees’ Conduct through the Use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) ABSTRACT The crucial question that this chapter examines is whether an employer may track employees during work hours using the Global Positioning System (GPS) without violating employees’ right to privacy. This chapter argues that GPS installation in employer-owned mobile phones and computers can coexist harmoniously with employees’ right to privacy when the GPS tracking does not seek to keep track of employee whereabouts but, instead, to optimize a travel route and enhance employee safety by providing the possibility of immediate intervention if necessary, such as when a speciied location is needed. If a GPS has been installed in order to assist employees in reaching a destination most eiciently, then this system must be placed solely and exclusively for this purpose, and the employee must retain the right to deactivate it at will. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-3637-8.ch008