Problem · GPS & GDPR
GPS tracking of employees — how to do it right
GPS tracking gives you live visibility into where your employees are, the ability to dispatch quickly on urgent jobs, and documentation toward customers. But it's only value-creating if it's implemented legally — and in Denmark, GDPR and the Data Protection Act set concrete requirements. Here's how to do it.
When is GPS tracking relevant?
You have urgent callouts and need to dispatch the nearest employee in seconds
Customers call and ask 'when are you coming?' — and you don't have a good answer
You want to document working time and driving for invoicing or insurance
You have expensive equipment in vans and want to make sure it's where it should be
You offer customers a portal where they can track arrival
What does GDPR and Danish law say?
In Denmark, GPS tracking of employees is legal — but only with the right basis. The key legal concepts are legitimate purpose, proportionality and disclosure. Legitimate purpose means there must be a concrete operational reason (e.g. dispatch, customer documentation, equipment security). Proportionality means the means must be in reasonable relation to the purpose — you can't track people all the time if the purpose can be solved by tracking only during working hours. Disclosure means employees must be informed in writing that they're tracked, what data is collected, and how long it's stored.
The second-most important legal component is employee privacy. You can't track an employee outside working hours without specific reason — meaning GPS should be tied to the vehicle, not the person, and ideally deactivatable outside working hours or during lunch. Many GPS systems build in a 'private mode' for exactly that reason.
If you choose a software platform that's already legally thought through — with automatic data hiding outside working hours, transparent logs, and employee access to their own location — you're far better positioned than with a separate GPS tracker bought loose.
How Clientflow solves it
Clientflow's GPS tracking is designed with Danish GDPR requirements as the starting point. You get live visibility into your vans in the field — without violating employee privacy.
Live position of all active vans
In the dispatcher view, you see in real time where all your employees are — important for urgent callouts and customer arrival queries.
Private mode outside working hours
Tracking can be automatically deactivated outside the employee's working hours or during lunch. Privacy is respected as default.
GDPR-compliant documentation
We provide a standard data processing agreement (DPA) and a template for employee information. Both are tailored specifically for Danish conditions.
Automatic deletion of old data
Location data is automatically deleted after a period you choose (typically 30-90 days). You don't store more than necessary — in line with GDPR's data minimization principle.
Employee access to own location
Employees can see their own history in the app and understand what's tracked about them. Transparency reduces resistance to the system.
Geofences at customer addresses
The system can automatically mark a job as 'started' when the employee arrives at the customer's address, and 'completed' when they drive on — without needing full movement logs.
What you get
The immediate benefit is faster dispatch. When an urgent callout lands, you can in seconds see which employee is nearest — and dispatch them. For plumbing firms, HVAC operators and similar dispatch-heavy trades, that's the difference between keeping and losing customers.
The medium-term benefit is customer communication. When a customer calls and asks 'when are you coming?' you can give an exact answer — or even better, you can close that feedback loop automatically by sending the customer an SMS when the employee is 15 minutes away.
The long-term benefit is data-driven operations. When you have actual driving data from months of work, you can see patterns — which customer types cost a lot of driving, which routes are inefficient, where you're burning time. That's a decision basis you don't have with manual logging.
Seconds
from urgent call to dispatch
GDPR
compliant design from default
30-90
days configurable data retention
Relevant for your trade
Plumbing
Urgent callouts demand dispatch in seconds — GPS tracking is typically critical here.
HVAC
Service and callout mix makes GPS tracking a strong tool for both planning and customer communication.
Pest control
Geofences at customer addresses automatically document visit start and end — important for food customers.
Cleaning
Confirm visits automatically — particularly useful with B2B customers with documentation requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPS tracking of employees legal in Denmark?
Do employees have to give consent?
Can I see employees after working hours?
How long is GPS data stored?
Can employees see what's tracked?
What does GPS tracking cost in Clientflow?
Ready for
live visibility?
Try demo and see how GPS tracking delivers dispatch advantages without violating privacy. No commitment.