What Are My Web and Email Rights at Work?

I just came across this snippet of info that could be useful for members from the US who use the company computers. Don't know if its the same in the Uk, but I assume they do something similar.

What Are My Web and Email Rights at Work?

In 1986, Congress passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which basically gave employers the right to monitor electronic communications "in the ordinary course of business." Now the million dollar question is: "What is defined as "ordinary course of business?" ...

Most companies view your office computer and their network infrastructure as property of the employer and I think they have a solid argument for such. Furthermore, the time they are paying you is their time, too. In terms of email monitoring, a recent survey of more than 700 companies by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that almost three quarters of the surveyed companies monitor their workers' use of the Internet and check employee email ...

Monitoring is not just limited to Internet and email. Your employer, for the most part, has every right to monitor voice mail and phone calls, too.

Its enough to make you paranoid

If they monitored me, I would have been fired years ago!

You have no rights on company computers & phone lines. Its thier dime. Be careful and ready to justify the places you visit and emails you send. It cause for termination at most companies if they choose to do you like that.

It really p*i*s*s*e*s me off when employees are screwing around when they should be working!!Employees who surf the net when they should be working diligently should be flogged with cat 5 cable. The Kapitalist institution demands that you give 110 percent to the employer who so generously hired you. I sure am glad that I am not a supervisor at a workplace where callous employees blatantly disregard the interest of the wonderful employer who provides them with jobs. SHAME ON YOU!:w:See what you have done.....you have driven me to drink.

^
Needs a bong rip!

If you are using their system, internet connection, services, then they have every right to monitor you...if you were surfing ebay when you were supposed to be working, tough luck.