Location Tracking
Udyamo HRMS captures employee location at the time of check-in to verify that employees are at their designated workplace. Using GPS coordinates and geo-fencing, the system can validate check-ins against office locations and provide visibility into where remote or field employees are working. This chapter covers configuring location tracking, geo-fencing, viewing check-in locations, and privacy considerations.
Prerequisites
Required: Before enabling location tracking:
- Offices must be configured with latitude and longitude coordinates (see Offices & Locations)
- Employees must use a device with GPS capability (smartphone, tablet) for location data to be captured
- Attendance tracking must be active (see Daily Check-In & Check-Out)
How Location Tracking Works
When an employee checks in through the web portal or mobile app, the system can capture their geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). This location data is stored alongside the attendance record.
Location Capture Flow
- Employee initiates check-in on their device.
- The browser or app requests location permission from the device.
- The device provides GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, accuracy).
- Udyamo HRMS records the coordinates with the attendance entry.
- If geo-fencing is enabled, the system compares the coordinates against the assigned office location.
- If the employee is within the geo-fence radius, the check-in is accepted.
- If the employee is outside the geo-fence, the check-in is either rejected or flagged (based on configuration).
Configuring Office Coordinates
Each office in Udyamo HRMS can have geographic coordinates configured for location-based attendance validation.
Setting Up Office Coordinates
- Navigate to Settings > Organization > Offices.
- Click the office name to edit it.
- Locate the Location section of the office form.
- Enter the following fields:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude | The latitude coordinate of the office | 19.0760 |
| Longitude | The longitude coordinate of the office | 72.8777 |
| Geo-Fence Radius (meters) | The radius around the office within which check-ins are valid | 200 |
- Click Save.
Finding Your Office Coordinates
To find the latitude and longitude for your office:
- Open Google Maps in a browser.
- Navigate to your office location.
- Right-click on the exact location.
- The coordinates appear in the context menu (e.g., 19.0760, 72.8777).
- Copy the values and enter them into the office configuration.
Tip: Use the most precise location possible. If your office is in a multi-building campus, pin the coordinates to your specific building entrance or lobby.
Geo-Fencing for Check-In Validation
Geo-fencing creates a virtual boundary around the office location. Only check-ins from within this boundary are accepted.
How Geo-Fencing Works
- The system calculates the distance between the employee's check-in location and the assigned office coordinates.
- If the distance is less than or equal to the configured Geo-Fence Radius, the check-in is accepted.
- If the distance exceeds the radius, the system takes the configured action.
Geo-Fence Validation Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Accept and Flag | The check-in is recorded but flagged as "outside geo-fence" for admin review |
| Reject | The check-in is rejected, and the employee sees an error message |
| Accept Without Flag | The check-in is recorded normally (geo-fencing effectively disabled) |
Configuring Geo-Fence Behavior
- Navigate to Attendance > Settings.
- Locate the Location Tracking section.
- Configure the following settings:
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Location Tracking | Master toggle for location capture during check-in | Yes |
| Require Location for Check-In | Whether check-in is blocked if location is unavailable | No |
| Enable Geo-Fencing | Whether to validate check-in location against office coordinates | Yes |
| Geo-Fence Action | What to do when check-in is outside the geo-fence | Accept and Flag |
| Default Geo-Fence Radius | Default radius in meters (can be overridden per office) | 200 |
- Click Save.
Tip: Start with a generous geo-fence radius (300-500 meters) and the "Accept and Flag" action. This allows you to collect data on check-in locations without disrupting employees. Once you understand the patterns, tighten the radius if needed.
Setting the Geo-Fence Radius
The appropriate geo-fence radius depends on your workplace layout:
| Scenario | Recommended Radius |
|---|---|
| Small office building | 100-200 meters |
| Large campus or tech park | 300-500 meters |
| Industrial zone / factory | 500-1000 meters |
| City block with multiple offices | 200-400 meters |
| Remote/field work | Geo-fencing may not apply; use location logging instead |
Warning: Setting the radius too small (under 50 meters) can cause check-in failures due to GPS accuracy limitations. GPS on mobile devices typically has an accuracy of 5-20 meters in open areas but can be 50-100 meters in dense urban areas or indoors.
Location Captured During Check-In
When an employee checks in with location tracking enabled, the following data is stored:
| Data Point | Description |
|---|---|
| Latitude | GPS latitude of the check-in location |
| Longitude | GPS longitude of the check-in location |
| Accuracy (meters) | GPS accuracy reported by the device |
| Timestamp | The exact time of the check-in |
| Within Geo-Fence | Boolean indicating whether the check-in was within the configured radius |
| Distance from Office | Calculated distance in meters from the assigned office coordinates |
Viewing Employee Check-In Locations
On the Attendance Record
- Navigate to Attendance > Daily Attendance or the employee's attendance profile.
- Click on a specific date's attendance record.
- The detail view shows:
- Check-in time
- Check-in location (latitude, longitude)
- Distance from office
- Geo-fence status (within / outside)
On a Map
If map integration is enabled:
- Navigate to Attendance > Location Map or Attendance > Daily Attendance.
- Select the date.
- A map view displays pins for each employee's check-in location.
- Click on a pin to see the employee name, check-in time, and distance from office.
- The office location is shown as a separate marker with the geo-fence radius drawn as a circle.
Filtering the Map
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | View check-in locations for a specific date |
| Department | Show only employees from a specific department |
| Office | Show check-ins relative to a specific office |
| Status | Filter by within geo-fence / outside geo-fence |
Location Tracking for Field Employees
For employees who work outside the office (sales representatives, delivery personnel, service technicians):
Handling Field Employees
| Approach | Description |
|---|---|
| Exempt from geo-fencing | Disable geo-fence validation for field employees; capture location for logging only |
| Multiple office assignments | Assign field employees to multiple offices (client sites) so they can check in from any assigned location |
| No geo-fence, location required | Require location capture but do not validate against any office; location is logged for reporting |
Configuring Field Employee Settings
- Open the field employee's profile.
- Navigate to the Attendance section.
- Set Geo-Fence Validation to Disabled or Log Only.
- Save.
Tip: For field teams, the location log serves as a record of where the employee was working rather than a compliance check. Use it for travel claims, customer visit verification, and route analysis.
Enabling and Disabling Location Tracking
Organization-Wide Toggle
- Navigate to Attendance > Settings > Location Tracking.
- Toggle Enable Location Tracking to Yes or No.
- Save.
When disabled:
- No location data is captured during check-in
- Geo-fencing is automatically disabled
- Existing location data in attendance records is retained
Per-Employee Override
Individual employees can be exempted from location tracking:
- Open the employee's profile.
- Navigate to the Attendance section.
- Set Location Tracking to Disabled.
- Save.
Privacy Considerations
Location tracking involves collecting personal geolocation data. Organizations must handle this responsibly.
Legal and Compliance Considerations
| Consideration | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Employee consent | Obtain explicit, written consent from employees before enabling location tracking. Indian IT Act and data protection regulations may require this. |
| Data minimization | Capture location only during check-in and check-out, not continuously. Udyamo HRMS captures a single point-in-time location, not real-time tracking. |
| Data retention | Define how long location data is retained. Purge old data per your organization's retention policy. |
| Access control | Restrict who can view employee location data. Only administrators and direct managers should have access. |
| Transparency | Clearly communicate to employees what location data is collected, why it is collected, how it is used, and who can access it. |
| Opt-out process | Provide a mechanism for employees to raise concerns about location tracking through HR. |
What Udyamo HRMS Does NOT Do
| Activity | Status |
|---|---|
| Continuous GPS tracking | Not supported. Location is captured only at the moment of check-in and check-out. |
| Background location tracking | Not supported. The app does not track location when not in use. |
| Location sharing with third parties | Not done. Location data stays within the Udyamo HRMS platform. |
| Camera or microphone access | Not required for location tracking (only GPS). Face recognition is a separate, opt-in feature. |
Warning: If an employee denies location permission on their device, the check-in can still proceed if Require Location for Check-In is set to No. However, no location data will be captured for that check-in.
Employee Communication Template
When rolling out location tracking, consider sharing information like the following with your team:
What is changing: Check-ins will now capture your location to verify you are at your designated workplace.
What is captured: A single GPS coordinate at the moment you check in and check out. No continuous tracking.
Why: To ensure accurate attendance records and compliance with company attendance policies.
Your control: You will be asked to grant location permission on your device. Location is only accessed during check-in.
Privacy: Only HR administrators and your direct manager can view your check-in locations.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Location permission denied" | Employee did not grant GPS permission | Ask the employee to enable location permission in their browser or device settings |
| Check-in rejected — outside geo-fence | Employee is not within the configured radius | Verify office coordinates are correct; increase the geo-fence radius if needed |
| Inaccurate location data | GPS accuracy is low (indoor, dense area) | The system logs accuracy; accept check-ins with low accuracy via the "Accept and Flag" policy |
| No location captured despite tracking enabled | Device does not have GPS capability | Location tracking requires a GPS-enabled device; desktop browsers may provide approximate IP-based location |
| Map not showing check-in pins | Map integration not configured or no data for the selected date | Verify the map feature is enabled; select a date with attendance data |
| "Location required" error on desktop | Location is required but desktop browser cannot provide precise GPS | Disable the "Require Location for Check-In" setting for desktop users or set it to optional |
Next Steps
- Configure overtime tracking for employees working extra hours — see Overtime Requests
- Set up attendance devices for biometric check-in — see Attendance Devices & Face Recognition
- Review attendance policies — see Attendance Policies & Rules