Can my employer track my location through a VPN? Find out!

As the trend of remote work gains momentum, a growing number of individuals are using a company VPN to access their office network from the comfort of their homes. Many people often wonder if their employer can track their location through a VPN.

A corporate VPN uses encryption and authentication to protect the data transmitted through it. However, dissimilar to consumer VPNs, its primary objective is to safeguard the company’s data and network rather than your individual privacy.

Since you probably use a personal device to access work-related files or applications, you may have concerns about what other activities your employer can monitor or access and whether you need to take additional privacy measures. 

Read on to find out more:

Why Employers Track Location

Understanding the “why” is crucial before the “how.”

Employers may want to track employee locations for several reasons:

• Compliance: Some contracts or regulations require employees to be in specific regions (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
• Security: Certain geographic areas may pose higher cybersecurity risks.
• Time zone coordination: Knowing where employees are helps with scheduling.
• Wage and tax implications: U.S. employers may need to comply with state-specific labor laws.

But not all tracking is legal or ethical—especially when done without consent.

Can a VPN Hide Your Location from Your Employer?

Yes, in most cases.

Here’s how:

• A VPN replaces your real IP address with one from its server, making your traffic appear as if it originates elsewhere.
• This prevents location detection through IP-based geolocation, the most common method.

However, this holds true only if:

• You’re using your own personal VPN, not one provided by the employer.
• Your device doesn’t have tracking software or embedded scripts.
• You’re not connected to any work-specific apps that bypass the VPN.

Can my employer track my location through a VPN?

The short answer is: yes, they can. Your employer may monitor several aspects of your activity while you are connected to the company network, including your location. If they keep an eye on your activity while you are in the office, they are likely to continue tracking your activity when you are working remotely through a VPN.

To help you better understand the extent of your employer’s ability to track your location through a VPN, let’s explore the differences between tracking over a corporate VPN versus tracking if you use a consumer VPN.

If you use a corporate VPN

When you connect to the company network, it treats you as if you were physically at your workstation.

Employers have the ability to view various aspects of your activity, including who logged in based on your credentials, login and logout times, the device’s IP address when connected to the VPN, device type, operating system, and VPN client version, as well as the amount and type of data transmitted.

Your employer may also be able to monitor the apps, software, and internal resources you access, as well as your internet activity. Regarding your location, your employer can determine it based on the IP address assigned by your ISP or cellular provider. However, the accuracy of the location can vary depending on the provider, ranging from a specific street to just a general area.

If your session is contained within a virtual desktop, you are only tracked in that environment and can still use your regular desktop outside the VPN without being monitored. However, some employers may mandate additional tracking software or deploy VPN monitoring tools that allow them to monitor your screen, even when you are not using the VPN.

If you use a consumer VPN

Can turning on your personal VPN before connecting to the corporate VPN help you avoid your employer’s tracking efforts? Not necessarily.

Personal VPNs primarily focus on encrypting your internet connection, which means that your internet activity, including your IP address and browser history, is safe from prying eyes when using a personal browser. This can hide your actual location, but your employer still might be able to determine your real location through other methods like the GPS location of your device and other geolocation technologies. 

Moreover, even if you use a personal VPN, your employer can still see that it is you who is connecting to the company network, as most corporate VPNs require user login credentials. Additionally, if you use the virtual desktop version of a browser, your employer may be able to monitor your browsing history.

Your employer could also use a tracking method known as user fingerprinting. This technique involves collecting information about your device, such as its operating system, browser version, screen resolution, time zone, and other characteristics, to create a unique profile that can be used to track your activity across different sessions.

BYOD vs. Company-Owned Devices

Your level of privacy largely depends on the type of device you’re using:

Personal Devices (BYOD)

• More control over software and network settings.
• Greater ability to run independent VPNs.
• But still vulnerable if you install company apps or connect to corporate email.

Company-Owned Devices

• Typically loaded with pre-configured security tools.
• May block third-party VPNs or force traffic through company networks.
• Employers may legally monitor everything on the device, including physical location if GPS is enabled.

Can my employer see what I do if I’m using a virtual desktop?

Yes, your employer can potentially see what you do on a virtual desktop. When using a virtual desktop environment, like those provided through your workplace, the network and the systems are typically managed and monitored by the IT department. This means they have the capability to track activity, including application usage, internet browsing, and data access, to ensure compliance with company policies and for security purposes.

Common Employee Monitoring Tools

Here are tools employers might use—many include location-tracking features:

Tool	Location Tracking	VPN Bypass	Notes
Hubstaff	Yes (GPS)	Possible	Common for remote teams
Teramind	Yes (network/IP)	Likely	Advanced monitoring
ActivTrak	No (primarily behavior)	Unlikely	Focus on productivity
Controlio	Yes	Likely	High-level surveillance
Time Doctor	Yes	Possible	Tracks time + location

Always read your employment contract and privacy policy for disclosure clauses.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Depending on your jurisdiction, location tracking without consent may violate:

• GDPR (EU): Requires clear consent for personal data processing.
• CCPA (California): Grants rights to know what’s being collected.
• FLSA (USA): Raises questions if off-the-clock tracking occurs.

Ethically, undisclosed tracking creates distrust and may reduce employee morale, especially in hybrid and remote workplaces.

What methods can employers use to track your location?

Employers may use a variety of techniques to track the location of their employees when they are working remotely. Even in corporate environments, productivity can be impacted by financial inefficiencies that go unnoticed—such as cash drag.

Understanding the hidden effects of idle cash on organizational performance is essential for both finance professionals and remote workers managing business resources. To uncover common problems created by cash drag and discover actionable strategies to reduce it.

Some common methods include:

1. IP address tracking

This method involves tracking the IP address of the device used by the employee to connect to the company network. The IP address can provide general information about the location of the device, such as the city or region.

2. GPS location tracking

Some employers may use GPS location tracking on company-owned devices, such as laptops or smartphones, to track the location of their employees. They can also use the GPS location service found on personal devices for this purpose. 

While it’s possible to turn off this feature or use a consumer VPN to hide your location, it can be more challenging if the tracking software is preloaded on your company laptop.

3. Wi-Fi tracking 

Wi-Fi tracking software can detect and log the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of closeby Wi-Fi networks. By comparing these addresses to a database of known Wi-Fi network locations, the software can determine the location of the device.

In addition, smartphones and laptops can automatically connect to known Wi-Fi networks when they are in range. Employers can use this feature to track the location of the device by monitoring the Wi-Fi networks that are in use and when they are being used.

4. User fingerprinting

User fingerprinting involves collecting information about the device, such as its operating system and settings, browser version, time zone, screen resolution, and other characteristics. By analyzing this information, employers can create a unique “fingerprint” for each user, which can be used to track their activities across different devices and locations.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Can employers my location through a VPN? Yes, they can along with a variety of other data as well. 

Using a consumer VPN on your personal device is one option that could protect your privacy, but some employers may use other methods like the ones mentioned above to track your activity and location. 

Moreover, using a consumer VPN may not be allowed or may violate company policies, so it is important to check with your employer to ensure that you are not breaking any rules.