Anyone work for Utiliquest? GPS and Tablets?

**810master** · July 29th, 2009, 08:38 PM

Does anyone work for Utiliquest/Uti that is currently using the new tablet computers? Are they used WITH the laptops or instead of them? I have heard they use GPS to track you at all times. Is that true? Do the tablets still enable the supervisors to go on the internet to check their mail? Please tell me all your info!!!

**yahoo** · August 1st, 2009, 09:57 PM

yes but we are not supposed to talk about none of this info!!! we all signed a disclosure form.....!!!! when your day will come you will lose the laptop you have now! gps tracks your movement at all times yes that is true!!sups will still have their email priveleges!! good luck on getting any info....maybe you should introduce yourself to the vine????

**810master** · August 2nd, 2009, 10:37 AM

I didn't want to disclose too much because I am in fear of getting fired but the all knowing all seeing Utiliquest just like you. It's too bad because people where I am at are so upset that everyone is planning on doing something about it. It's tough when the economy is so bad that no one has a choice but to let the mouth that feeds bend you over. Everyone in my area makes their numbers too. There went the only real good thing about working there...

**810master** · August 2nd, 2009, 02:01 PM

In this day and age, even with the 1st amendment, people that speak freely have a funny way of getting fired so let me rephrase part of my last post... The thing everyone is going to do about it shall be understood to mean; "They will all bend over and take it because everyone needs their jobs." I don't want to get accused of starting some rebellion or something... LOL. I have all the information I need. Thanks.

**yahoo** · August 2nd, 2009, 10:26 PM

good luck dude!!!!

**GPGrasshopper** · August 4th, 2009, 06:59 AM

A lot of comapnies are putting gps in the trucks lately. Way I see it, the only people who have to worry about the GPS are the people who aren't where they are supposed to be. I am on the GPS tracked employee list, but I don't care, because I keep my nose clean. Out of sight, out of mind for me.

**ProfessionalLocator** · January 5th, 2010, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by 810master

Does anyone work for Utiliquest/Uti that is currently using the new tablet computers? Are they used WITH the laptops or instead of them? I have heard they use GPS to track you at all times. Is that true? Do the tablets still enable the supervisors to go on the internet to check their mail? Please tell me all your info!!!

By now you may have first hand gotten the answers you seek.

When a company get's new technology that is beneficial they want people to shout it to the world. That firm put a gag order on it's employees, even talking about it can get them fired.

If anybody wants to talk about it they need to get a free e-mail account under a fake name and then create an additional new account here under the fake name. It is also advisable to not use the company laptop to doe this. Also there is the question of any firm getting a subpoena to get computer records from IP and e-mail providers. So the only way I can think of is to use a personal laptop with a wifi card so you can piggyback on someone else s internet connection. You do not piggyback on your neighbor's wifi service but on some random house you drive by and park near.

If a firm needs to put GPS tracking on all their employees they have the wrong employees. If they have that many wrong employees then they have the wrong managers.

If you have enough managers that have done a poor job but are capable of doing the work to correct the problem then mass purchase of GPS trackers is not needed. Just buy a magnetic mount GPS for a couple of hundred dollars and slap it under the truck of a suspected employee.

I think mass GPS is not cost effective and bad for overall work performance / morale. For any manager reading this I want you to think of something. Standing behind you is a guy with his chin on you shoulder. He goes everywhere with you and monitors everything you do. The next day you are queried about any step you took that someone reading your shadows report thinks is not right. You are a manager and were hired to that professional position because you were trusted to be both professional and responsible.

A locator is first responsible for public safety, life and limb. Next they are responsible for thousands to millions of dollars of utilities. Employees, from management to field worker, do as they are trained and treated. We cannot get responsible, professional work from people we treat as if they were children raised by wolfs. We can certainly get the appearance of good work and behavior but few people work to their best productivity when they feel they are not being treated right or respected.

What happens is these employees learn to work the system. Instead of being innovative and doing their best they adhere strictly to the constraints placed on them. When production falls they have written orders to adhere to the constraints which they hold up. These orders become a sort of an excuse, if I stepped away from these orders you would discipline me so why should I take the chance that you will agree with my explanation for my actions.

My take is never hobble good employees with restraints due to the actions of bad employees. Such action is the failure to deal with the bad employees which is either to inspire them to better performance or terminate them. Excessive and constraining rules and procedures is the manifestation of managers who are not doing their job.

**yahoo** · January 5th, 2010, 08:18 PM

dude....that actually makes alot of sense!! well said dude!!!

**ProfessionalLocator** · January 5th, 2010, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by yahoo

dude....that actually makes alot of sense!! well said dude!!!

Thank you

But I must give credit where credit is due. Mostly I just listen to the voices in my head as they are wise.

**TMO** · March 19th, 2010, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

By now you may have first hand gotten the answers you seek.

When a company get's new technology that is beneficial they want people to shout it to the world. That firm put a gag order on it's employees, even talking about it can get them fired.

If anybody wants to talk about it they need to get a free e-mail account under a fake name and then create an additional new account here under the fake name. It is also advisable to not use the company laptop to doe this. Also there is the question of any firm getting a subpoena to get computer records from IP and e-mail providers. So the only way I can think of is to use a personal laptop with a wifi card so you can piggyback on someone else s internet connection. You do not piggyback on your neighbor's wifi service but on some random house you drive by and park near.

If a firm needs to put GPS tracking on all their employees they have the wrong employees. If they have that many wrong employees then they have the wrong managers.

If you have enough managers that have done a poor job but are capable of doing the work to correct the problem then mass purchase of GPS trackers is not needed. Just buy a magnetic mount GPS for a couple of hundred dollars and slap it under the truck of a suspected employee.

I think mass GPS is not cost effective and bad for overall work performance / morale. For any manager reading this I want you to think of something. Standing behind you is a guy with his chin on you shoulder. He goes everywhere with you and monitors everything you do. The next day you are queried about any step you took that someone reading your shadows report thinks is not right. You are a manager and were hired to that professional position because you were trusted to be both professional and responsible.

A locator is first responsible for public safety, life and limb. Next they are responsible for thousands to millions of dollars of utilities. Employees, from management to field worker, do as they are trained and treated. We cannot get responsible, professional work from people we treat as if they were children raised by wolfs. We can certainly get the appearance of good work and behavior but few people work to their best productivity when they feel they are not being treated right or respected.

What happens is these employees learn to work the system. Instead of being innovative and doing their best they adhere strictly to the constraints placed on them. When production falls they have written orders to adhere to the constraints which they hold up. These orders become a sort of an excuse, if I stepped away from these orders you would discipline me so why should I take the chance that you will agree with my explanation for my actions.

My take is never hobble good employees with restraints due to the actions of bad employees. Such action is the failure to deal with the bad employees which is either to inspire them to better performance or terminate them. Excessive and constraining rules and procedures is the manifestation of managers who are not doing their job.

Very well said . Much better than the rant i have i my head ! I actually agree with the decision to use a sysytem to 'track' employees , it makes no difference in my day to day activities. it has even brought a few guys i know up to a higher level of personal accountability. Makes it easier for me when i have to deal with them

**yahoo** · March 19th, 2010, 09:20 PM

well so far so good for me.....it took some getting used to but i'm over it!!!! change will have to happen good or bad! that 's how the world works! my wisdom for the day!!! good luck with that!!!

**sprayandpray** · March 20th, 2010, 10:37 AM

I believe Utiliquest is more paranoid than USIC, if it's possible. GPS, cameras, maybe they need to hire employees that can be trusted in the !st place. But, since they can't hire trustworthy management, I understand why they don't believe they can hire any other honest employees.

**yahoo** · March 20th, 2010, 09:14 PM

with guys having tickets anywhere from 100-500 in their names....all the technology in the world aint making that ticket load go down any ..........by the way guys 80 hours a week...........2 in a row....going for another next week!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE THE OT!!!!!!!!!!!

**ProfessionalLocator** · March 20th, 2010, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by yahoo

with guys having tickets anywhere from 100-500 in their names....all the technology in the world aint making that ticket load go down any ..........by the way guys 80 hours a week...........2 in a row....going for another next week!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE THE OT!!!!!!!!!!!

I have worked like that before, after so many weeks your brain starts to fry. If you can get a day off here and there it is survivable.

Ever heard of the snowball going down the hill? It gets bigger and bigger faster and faster because it is building on the snow it has already collected.

Utiliquest has built a such a tight system of employee tracking combined with “procedures” that are iron clad that the productivity per hour has to drop. Locators are told to “do what is needed” but those gps trackers would just get them fired for doing what bosses encourage them to do. Now if those smart sticks somebody mentioned are put on locators giving gps tracking of their exact footsteps things will get even worse.

**utilicrap** · March 20th, 2010, 10:26 PM

I think professional sums it up just about right. Once upon a time issues like this should have and would have been handled on a case by case basis. I have never worked somewhere where they had such little trust in the employees.

I'm also interested in these tablets. I'm pretty skeptical that they would be any more practical than hour current machines. I'm still not too sure why we aren't just taking photos of locates.

I always assumed that we had GPS on our vehicles since I began.

For what its worth-- I have never seen non disclosure forms in our area.