Can my employer force me to use an app?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

What do you think of a large company saying this about a vendor mobile app: Using your personal phone, personal computer, or business computer, it is mandatory to register for the app (requires business and personal email and phone numbers), agree to terms and conditions, and sign in. We are not required to use the app, but compliance is a part of "business adaptability goals".

Dear Compliance,

I'm always interested when employers require employees to use their personal phones because the employer should either reimburse the employee for usage or provide them with a phone. Or make it optional.

Often, though, it's mutually beneficial for the employee to use their phone for business. Nurses on-call would probably rather use their own phone than, say, a hospital-issued pager.

In your case, you have a choice of using your work computer so your question seems like it's more of using your personal email if I understand you correctly.

Without knowing what vendor/app business purpose it has, it's hard to answer. For many apps, there's a workaround where you can accomplish the goal by other means, albeit not as conveniently. For example, there are symptom-checker apps that make it easier to check in daily. There are staffing apps that make it simple to swap shifts, but usually, they're not required. 

If you object to giving personal information to a third party, I think that's completely valid, and it's also a question for Human Resources.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth