Stuttgart, April 29, 2024 - The introduction of the four-day week poses new challenges for companies with field service and vehicle fleets. AREALCONTROL GmbH, an expert in telematics solutions, warns against uncontrolled use of company vehicles, machines and equipment on working days off.
"At first I didn't believe it when the managing director of a construction company in southern Germany called us and told us that employees were using their days off to complete private orders and work with company vehicles. The four-day week was recently introduced," explains Ulric Rechtsteiner, Managing Director of AREALCONTROL GmbH. "This not only leads to unnecessary costs for the company, because on Mondays the company pays for its fuel, but can also lead to liability risks for the company." The scenarios are diverse and range from illegal work to tax evasion and tax fraud to social security fraud and possible liability in the event of accidents at work. In an emergency, the company must prove its innocence, because its employees and its vehicles were obviously at the site. Construction companies in particular are always particularly targeted by the investigative authorities in this regard. The workforce, who work in their free time, is unaware of all the legal violations due to a lack of knowledge. Distortion of competition, breaches of employment contracts and fraud against the company are only some of the legal violations. The GDPR and any personal rights are secondary in this context, because operational requirements take priority. In addition, telematics can be used to fulfill legal obligations under tax and labor laws.
Telematics as a solution to overcome these challenges, AREALCONTROL recommends the use of telematics solutions. Telematics enables precise documentation of vehicle use, so that companies can see exactly when and where their vehicles are on the road.
"With telematics, companies can ensure that their vehicles are only used for business purposes," says Ulric Rechtsteiner. "This saves costs and reduces liability risks."
Solutions for the four-day week
AREALCONTROL GmbH offers companies with field service and vehicle fleets various telematics solutions that are specifically tailored to the requirements of the four-day week. In addition to the non-manipulable working time and activity recording via the ArealPilot 360° app, the telematics offer includes:
- Position monitoring: With this function, companies can see where their vehicles are at any time. Geofencing and alarm messages via SMS, email or calls.
- Route planning and optimization: Telematics solutions enable efficient routes to be planned so that drivers can save time and fuel.
- Driving style monitoring: Telematics systems can monitor employees' driving style and provide information about uneconomical or risky driving. Retraining is then an improvement measure.
- Online reports: Companies have access to detailed online reports that show them the use of their vehicles in detail.
- Authorization concepts using user ID: Using driver identification via NFC or RFID chip, vehicle use can be restricted to authorized persons. In short: no journey without a driver.
Conclusion: The four-day week offers companies and employees a number of advantages, but the parties themselves must find out whether this is a satisfactory way of life in the long term and the right way to go when there is a shortage of skilled workers. However, in order to master the challenges of fleet management, the use of telematics solutions is recommended. AREALCONTROL offers companies with field service and fleets customized telematics solutions that help them to continue their day-to-day business even during the four-day week.
