Worker allegedly fired for disabling app that tracked her movements

An employee has filed a lawsuit against her former employer over apparently being forced to install an app on her phone which tracked her movements.

Myrna Arias, who was a sales executive at money remittance service provider Intermex, deleted the tracking app from her phone, which later resulted in her employer apparently firing her.

According to Mashable, the app named Xora was installed on each employee’s phone at the company in 2014, which enabled Intermex to keep tabs on employees even when they were not working.

The app works to track the exact location of a smartphone, as well as helping businesses to remotely manage their workers by keeping track of their hours and paperwork.

Arias is now seeking $500,000 in damages with her lawsuit against Intermex. She is seeking payment for lost wages and punitive damages.

This news raises questions around the BYOD (bring your own device) trend and what employers can – or should – be asking their employees to install on their own devices.

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