Do you think that employers read microsoft teams chats?

[Larna4t]

I don't mean group chats , I mean 1-1 chats between employees. My colleague in my last workplace was absolutely convinced of it. She said that her boss would bring up things that she had said in 1-1 chats with colleagues.

Can workplaces access all team chats as it is a work communicatiom, even 1-1 chats?

I’d be in deep shit if my managers read the chats.
They are X is so bloody annoying spending and hour with X when they weren’t needed because a first aider was there
that kind of shit

Yes our work chats are like this as well. I'm starting to think I need to stop the bitch/griping sessions with my colleagues.

One example of where you’re wrong. There are multiple examples where you have conflated different positions.

So to repeat clearly - legally your employer has the right to access anything they own which means any messages that you’ve sent.

Unless it is on a company provided / managed mobile phone. 😉

They absolutely can. My team was dragged into a disciplinary meeting with management—several of our more junior members were spending the majority of the day slagging each other off. It wasn’t fun for us middle-aged women to sit through, as we weren’t involved in the drama.

You need to stop.

Definitely

WhatsApp can still be screenshotted, or handed over by someone in the conversation, or required to be surrendered for legal proceedings. (See the pathetic excuse about the phone being "dropped in the sea" during the Wagatha Christie case.)

If you want to slag off your boss or your company or your coworkers, best to do it verbally to your spouse or friends. Spending all day moaning over emails and messages just mires you in negativity anyway.

Im not wrong.

The IT worker on this thread said THAT SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO ACCESS EMAILS.
I think she would know!

Legally the company is allowed to access emails, yes.

The IT person in that company is NOT allowed to access emails in her usual job

. if she was specifically asked to, she would be allowed to access.them. Otherwise she is not allowed to

I said both of those things, and both of those things are right

Yep. Because one's colleagues never ever rock up at HR with a copy of what you have said. If you want to slag off your boss / company/client/ colleague, best to get another job first.

An IT on this thread might not be allowed to access data but it depends on their level. Similar to any hierarchy, such as access to Finance or HR data.

Consent for CCTV, depends what. I think your employer was being cautious because there are a variety of legal reasons why you can hold data, such as CCTV images. The legal case might would be prevention of crime. Consent is deemed the weakest legal basis, because consent can be withdrawn and needs to be reviewed regularly.

Everyone is saying the same - Teams is a business tool and should only be used for that purpose. The data belongs to the Employer. They pay the subscriptions.

Find the "acceptable use policy". Did you read every HR policy when you joined or do you think the company should have informed you of every policy?

Anyway...what have you said on Teams that has freaked you out?

Our head of IT got hold of any messages that I (as head of legal) asked him for. He would also do the same for head of Audit, head of HR etc.

That doesn't mean it's a free for all but it's wild that you don't believe your messages could be read

Yes, we could access WhatsApp /texts if they were in company managed phones.

They are often requested when lawyers ask for disclosure these days in (for instance) employment law matters

I haven't said anything bad on teams actually.

I was just thinking about this as a colleague in my last workplace was talking to me about it. I, at the time thought 1-1 chats on teams were private

Then that same employer screen recorded my work without telling me.

They didnt tell us anything that they were doing.

My friend (remote worker) believes that her employer is recording her at home using the camera

Its made me think about how employers track and record employees

Its wild?

How is it wild if we are not told?

Ive looked through my contract, IT policy, acceptable internet usage policy, my employees handbook .

There is nothing whatsoever said about it.

Why dont employers clearly state it? I think its because they know people wouldnt write half the crap they write if they know about it
They want to catch people out

Wow. If this thread is a sample of your usual communication style I can see why you are freaking out about your team's chat being monitored

Of course they are trying to catch you out. Just like they would try to catch you out if you had your fingers in the till.

Or maybe it's not explicitly stated in the same way that other things aren't stated... because they're basic common sense and therefore it's reasonable to assume people know? My contract doesn't have anything explicitly advising me not to stick my office scissors in a plug socket, or suggesting I should lock the door to the office loo when I'm in, because it's assumed people have common sense. Why on earth would you think that slagging your colleagues off on a digital platform provided to you in order that you can do your job might in some way be permissible or even a good idea?!

I think there was more explicit notification when computers became the norm in the 90s. It's been the case for such a long time now that I think it is assumed that everyone knows big brother is watching you.

ICT could access it in my role, working in the local authority. Managers can't just go on and read it. I'd never ever speak negatively about a colleague on Teams.

Check their intellectual property policies, data protection policy and any other policies about liability. What is it you want them to tell you? That you can use work accounts for personal messages? Think about it logically… they’re liable. You’re not.

If you never write anything dodgy on work systems you will be able to sleep easy.

My employer can watch me work all day if they like

Also, I am impressed you have read all that thoroughly since the thread began. Have you checked their privacy notice too?
Either way, all the data on their systems belongs to them. And if someone submits a subject access request asking for (for instance) "any references to me on teams chats or emails or other messaging systems made by the following names individuals between the following dates" then as a bare minimum several senior members of staff will be looking through those chats.

As an IT manager who had been the one to trawl through teams messages because of a subject access request, it would blow your mind what people write about other staff members on company systems.

it’s been thirty years since computers become common in the work place and it’s is naive to think that you aren’t being monitored in some way