HR and employees

Where your team is, in real time and with no phone calls

Geolocation of clock-ins and of field staff's movements, with a live map, route history and alerts if someone clocks in outside their assigned work zone.

What is allowed and where the line sits

Geolocation at work is lawful in Spain, but tightly framed: art. 90 of the LOPDGDD requires employers to inform workers and their representatives expressly, clearly and unambiguously about the system and about how to exercise their rights. Kimobox works with geofences per site and validation of the clock-in point rather than continuous tracking, which is how you get the data the company needs without collecting the data it has no business holding.

Content reviewed on 25 August 2026

Legal basis in Spain: Art. 90 of the LOPDGDD Organic Law 3/2018: duty to inform staff and their representatives expressly
Governing principle: Data minimisation Art. 5.1.c) GDPR: only adequate, relevant and limited data
Outside working hours: No location permitted Processing is confined to working time and the stated purpose
Recommended model: Geofence, not continuous tracking Validates the clock-in occurs at the assigned site without logging the rest of the route
Impact assessment: Usually required Art. 35 GDPR where there is systematic monitoring of individuals

Real-time map

See where each employee clocked in and where they are right now, without calling them.

Geolocated clock-ins

Clock-ins log the location at the moment of entry and exit, optional and configurable per site.

Field staff

Sales reps, technicians and drivers visible on the map while they work outside the office.

Geofence alerts

An alert when a worker clocks in outside the zone assigned to their work site.

Route history

The day's route available to justify visits, deliveries or trips.

Configurable privacy

Geolocation only during working hours, and only for the roles that need it.

What it controls

From clock-in to map, with no check-up calls

Location logged at the moment of clock-in and clock-out
Live map of field staff throughout the working day
Geofences per work site with an alert if someone clocks in outside it
Route history by employee and by day
Enabled per role or department, not mandatory for the whole workforce
Location data handled under GDPR

Real examples

Three uses that stand up

Field service · mobile technicians

Assigning an urgent call to the nearest technician

Before Phoning three technicians until one turns out to be nearby. Half an hour lost per emergency.

After A live map during working hours showing available technicians. The call goes to the closest one and the customer gets a realistic arrival time.

Cleaning · dispersed sites

Clocking in from the sofa at home

Before A clock-in app with no location validation. Nobody can assert the punch happened at the right site.

After A geofence per site with configurable tolerance. A punch outside it becomes an exception for the manager to review, without blocking the worker.

Distribution · own fleet

Justifying a travel allowance

Before Mileage declared on a manual form, impossible to check and a recurring source of friction.

After Route history for the shift linked to the work report. The allowance is calculated on a figure both sides can look at.

Vocabulary

Concepts that avoid an enforcement file

Geofence: A virtual perimeter around a workplace. The system only checks whether the device is inside or outside at the moment of clocking, with no need to store continuous position.
Minimisation: The GDPR principle that only data strictly necessary for the stated purpose may be processed. Applied here: if knowing they were on site is enough, do not store where they went afterwards.
Data protection impact assessment: A prior analysis of the risks a processing operation poses to individuals' rights, required by art. 35 GDPR where there is systematic large-scale monitoring.
Prior information: Express notice to staff and their legal representatives about the system, its purpose and the worker's rights. Without it, the processing is not lawful.
Route history: The sequence of positions recorded during a shift. Its retention needs a defined and justified period; keeping it indefinitely is not defensible.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

Is geolocation mandatory?

No, it's enabled per role or department; it's common for sales, field technicians or delivery staff, not the whole workforce.

Is anyone tracked outside working hours?

No, tracking is only active during the working day logged through the clock-in.

Does it comply with GDPR?

Yes, location data follows the same data protection framework as the rest of the employee's information, with a legal basis and prior notice to the worker.

Does it work across several work sites?

Yes, each site has its own geofence and its own out-of-zone alerts.

What exactly does Spanish law require?

Art. 90 of the LOPDGDD requires informing workers and their legal representatives expressly, clearly and unambiguously about the geolocation system and about how to exercise their rights of access, rectification, restriction and erasure.

Is a data protection impact assessment needed?

Usually yes. Art. 35 GDPR requires one where there is systematic monitoring of individuals, and the Spanish authority list expressly includes workplace geolocation.

What is the difference between a geofence and continuous tracking?

A geofence only checks whether the device is inside or outside a perimeter at the moment of clocking in. Tracking stores position over time. The first meets the purpose with far less data, which is why it fits the minimisation principle.

Can a clock-in outside the zone be blocked?

It can, but the sensible option is to log it as an exception for a manager to review. Blocking someone who has gone to a customer without telling anyone creates more problems than it solves.

How long is position history kept?

For whatever period the company defines and can justify. Keeping it indefinitely is not defensible; the usual approach is a short period tied to the per diem or mileage settlement cycle.

Ask us about geolocation for your field team

We'll show you the module running with data similar to yours.

Request a demo

Keep exploring

Sources

Where each figure comes from

References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.

Organic Law 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), art. 90: rights regarding geolocation systems BOE-A-2018-16673 · Consolidated text
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), arts. 5 and 35 EUR-Lex · Applicable since 25 May 2018
Data protection in employment relationships Spanish Data Protection Agency · AEPD guidance

Real-time geolocation of staff and clock-ins

Kimobox's real-time geolocation shows on a map where each employee clocked in and where field staff are throughout the day, with geofences per work site and alerts if someone clocks in outside their assigned zone.

Route history stays available by employee and by day, useful for justifying sales visits, deliveries or technical trips, with activation configurable by role or department and location data handled under GDPR.