Has anybody got any guidelines on the rules on monitoring employees e-mails and what they can do in the respect of how much they can monitor and who has access to it ?

Thanks

Lucy
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Have a look here :

Advice Guide.org

If it's a company email address then they can monitor it fully - checking the content etc, as long as they have informed you of this (where I work, each time we log on to our machine we have to note that we have read the code of ethics and computer use before we can actually use the system :rolleyes:).

It does help if it's a friend who monitors the emails though ;)

Are you sure about that as that is what I am after for confirmation ?

Lucy
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Lucy,

I work for a local authority and we have a whole policy on internet and email use, which we have to read and sign for before we can use the internet/email.  Our IT dept can monitor our emails and are able to look at them if they want but as long as you don't abuse it they allow us to use the facilities for private use within our own time.  We have to log in on a unique user name for the internet, and there are quite strict filters on, which is understandable due to the schools being on the same server.

I think it is right that as long as the policy is laid out and properly disseminated to the users that they can look at whatever you are doing on their systems.

Hope this helps :)

Lesley

Lesley,

I also work for the local authority and have the policy on internet and email use - we are told not to use it for personal use but they do ignore it to a certain extent (I'm forever emailing myself photo's of my two to work - and as long as I keep the file sizes down it's okay).

LJS -  Yes they are allowed to monitor your emails if they have informed you they will be doing so :)

I'm lucky then ice_cosmos, cos mine must be less strict than yours as we are expressly told we can use it in our policy, in our own time, ie lunchtime, but that it's a privilege that we must not abuse.  They also lay down what would be abuse, so we have no excuse ;) If you abuse it, the sanctions are stated too; we could be warned, or have the facilities withdrawn or even be dismissed if the abuse was of a very bad nature.  The policy runs to pages and they seem to have covered all their bases.  It's actually a very fair policy because it allows their staff a perk, but keeps the use of it within very clear boundaries :)

Lesley