Work Emails

[hugoboss]

We have just found out at work that our boss has got access to our work email inboxes, without prior consent from us. Is this allowed? Doesn't it break Data Protection/ Privacy Laws?

[spinchimp]

Why should it break data protection laws - its not your pc, it belongs to the company - any data on it belongs to the company.

[rojash]

I agree with spinchimp. Any communications in your work in-boxes are actually communications with your company - or at least they should be - and you are mearly a conduit. If there's something in there that you don't want your boss to see, that can only be because you are misusing your company's reasources.

[cascarelli]

why shouldn't your boss have access to your work emails?

[ayla99]

i don't believe your boss needs your consent but i think there is a code of practice that says you should be informed.

The way I see it is that its not your inbox - the inbox belongs to your employer.

[Rufio]

It's normally mentioned in your company handbook or terms of employment you recieve when you join the company. Or in the company policy handbook. But yeah, this is really just normal practice im afraid.

[ludwig]

Always bear this in mind when - any email you send or receive at work can, and will be read, quite legitimately, by any tom dick or harry.
Think about that carefully before either..
a) continuing your chatting up by email of the woman in accounts.. or
b) Slagging off your boss to someone else in the company.

[simsfreq]

They have access, but most wouldn't bother to use it unless they had good reason to.

[jake-the-peg]

It is legal in the UK, not in some European countries.

However E-mail is very visible and easily read there are numerous people who can filter and view E-mail as it passes.

A good rule of thumb is:

If you wouldn't write it on a postcard and put in in a post box do not write it on an unencrypted e-mail

[Whickerman]

It is legal for your boss to use any work system.
HOWEVER - and this has yet to be tested in the courts, but may be in the near future here in Ireland - it does appear that reading someone's private email without consent is not permitted under the European Human Rights act.

[Whickerman]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0624/merrilllynch. html

check this out, by the way

[mccfluff]

i'm not sure on the law but everyone who joins our company has to sign a release as part of the contract to say that IT/managers can access your emails and this was due to the dp act

[chinois]

I'm not sure of the law but that sounds like a breach of your privacy. I've been told that my employer (local government) is not allowed to read our emails or check what websites we've accessed. They can only set up blockers for websites or rude words in emails.
It sounds wrong if you werent told about it when you started.