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  |  Succeeding & Surviving  |  Working Environment  |  Is my email private?
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Is my email private?

by Sylvia Ho

question
I've been planning a surprise party for my husband's 40th birthday. My boss called me into his office yesterday and had a printout on his desk of an email I sent to a caterer with details of the menu. He warned me that if I was caught sending personal emails again, I could be sacked. I feel angry as well as embarrassed. What business is it of his what emails I send anyway?

answer
Using email to organise your husband's party is like using the telephone for personal calls in work time. The company has a right to keep its employees from using work time for personal matters. This is not limited just to infractions such as extra long telephone calls, playing computer games or long lunch breaks. However, many companies allow personal use of email as long as it is not unreasonable and does not interfere with an employee's performance.

Emails are particularly sensitive to employers nowadays, since they can be considered company records. New surveys suggest that about 55 per cent of employers monitor staff emails and Web usage. Sexual jokes passed around on email have resulted in companies being sued for sexual harassment. In the US a number of companies have been sued over employees who have used emails for personal reasons. In 1999 British Gas paid more than £100,000 in damages for a defamatory internal email.

How do you know what is allowed?

  1. Look in your company handbook for policy regarding personal use of email.
  2. Find out what the company says about how much they monitor employees.
  3. Discuss any concerns with your immediate supervisors, if possible. Do it as a general question so that you will know what is expected of you. Usually, your immediate supervisor will be the person who would complain about you sending personal emails in work time.
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