Since the email took off in popularity near the start of this decade, employers have been allowed to monitor their employees’ use of company computers says William D King.
The question is whether they can monitor employee use of general servers and webmail programs while the employee is not at work.
- People who are being paid for their time do not have a right to privacy in the workplace. No privacy rights were granted when “the boss” hacked Facebook and saw photos of his employee drinking at a party or snooped through her email and found out which co-worker she was dating.
- Employers can monitor you to make sure you are not browsing sites that are related to your union organizing efforts. They can also read your company email if they suspect you are up to no good on company time, but they have to have some reason for thinking so.
- It is legal for employers to track what you do online after work hours, though it’s questionable whether they should. If your employer installs keystroke logging software on your computer during non-work hours, consider this a red flag that causes you to ask for proof that your employer is not spying on you.
- Employers that track employees in this way are only allowed to see what the employee is doing that relates to their job, or will help them do their job better. If your manager reads an email where you say negative things about customers, it’s okay. But if they read one where you talk about how crappy a particular co-worker is, they might have a problem with it.
- They can also tell whether you’re spending most of your time playing games or surfing the net during work hours because they can monitor the amount of time you spend online and at which websites (including Facebook).
- Only an idiot would think his boss should not be able to check up on him while he’s on the clock. A lot of people seem to think that privacy is something they can expect in their lives when they’re not at work. But there are no privacy rights granted by law under these circumstances explains William D King.
- Some companies do track their employees’ off-duty activities to make sure that they are using their own time wisely. They do give bonuses to workers who use most of their spare time for personal projects. Which could increase business profits. But it’s more likely you’ll find your boss snooping around. Only if you tell lies about your working hours or take advantage of company benefits. Like extended sick leave even though you aren’t sick.
- It may be legal for an employer to read your email messages (and censor them). When you’re away from work, but it’s not right. If you want to retain any privacy rights you have. After quitting your job or getting laid off (or losing a contract). The only way you can do that is by using email accounts. That are not provided to you by your employer.
- Since employers are allowed to monitor what employees say and do on company-owned computers during work hours. They don’t need access to private emails sent from personal accounts. Even if those emails have been downloaded onto a company laptop. Employers would have a very hard time justifying. Why they should be reading their employees’ personal mail or going through their Facebook pages. So most of them aren’t interested in doing anything underhanded at all. They’re monitoring activity on company property during working hours, which is entirely legal.
- However, some employers do insist that all employees use the company email address for their personal business. If you decide to use a personal account on a work computer, be sure it’s password-protected says William D King. Never make the mistake of thinking your employer won’t find out. What you’re doing when you are on company time using company resources or equipment. Your best protection against any privacy violations on the job. It is to avoid giving anyone an excuse to snoop around in your life. At any time they feel like it.
Conclusion:
Employers track every activity of their employees on a company-owned computer/laptop. So, don’t think that if you’re using your private email IDs. And browsing websites that are not related to your work. Then it won’t get tracked by your boss. It will definitely be tracked by him/her!