Another email confidentiality one

[CrystalSkull]

So, I was out of the office this week with no access to emails. My boss asked me about my progress on something (not at all urgent). I told him exactly whom he could ask to find out the latest progress, but he instead told me he was going to get access to all my emails instead!

There is nothing inappropriate in my emails and we of course have it in our contracts that work can monitor our emails. But I feel this is an abuse of power and totally unnecessary. The worst part is that we ARE the HR department, so I've got nobody to complain to!

What would you do, if anything?

Yes, but I wouldn't expect them to use this option when there was actually a much simpler and quicker one - just asking the person working with me on the project! I fully accept that they can view all emails.

My work can access my work email account, as it's their system and should only be used for work purposes so no need for data protection.

I would find it odd but it wouldn't bother me in this instance.

I would welcome my manager having access to my emails if I was away for a week with no way of looking at them/replying to them myself.

Nothing.

I never have anything on my email I wouldn't want my boss/colleagues to see for this very reason. You never know when you are going to be run over by a bus...

I used to give colleagues proxy access to mine - it means you dont get stupid phone calls during your holidays.

I have a colleague who can see my emails while I am away - but no, my boss wanted to see them himself! There is absolutely nothing dodgy or even vaguely inappropriate in there, but that is not the point. I feel like it is unnecessary in this particular situation.

Well, that's just how you feel but he's the boss so I think you're just going to have to get over it. You don't own your Inbox.

To the people who've just told me to 'get over it' - perhaps worth adding that I have developed depression and anxiety issues due to previous shenanigans with this boss. Thanks for making me feel even worse than I feel already. I'm going to ask MN to delete this thread.

To the people who've just told me to 'get over it' - perhaps worth adding that I have developed depression and anxiety issues due to previous shenanigans with this boss.

We aren't mindreaders.

You asked us what we would do and we told you. Perhaps you should have given us the background. Your first post is out of context.

If he's already causing you anxiety then I would suggest you start looking for another job. There's obviously a problem between the pair of you.

Best of luck.

What if someone emailed something to OP in confidence that they didn't want her boss to see, especially as it's HR dept? Could still be a copy in OP's deleted or sent folder. Bit uncomfortable to me.

^ It depends. If the email has been marked as private before it has been sent then only the receiver can see these emails

"By default, Outlook will not expose private messages to delegates or other people that you share a folder with."

Work can see our emails - but the only time someone would is:

• HR when monitoring someone for a potential disciplinary;
• IT Security if tracking a potential breach;
• IT support if investigating technical issues.

Managers would not be given access, not even for someone in their team; were they to do so, in my case, they would come across mails between me and HR and me and more senior management about something my line manager doesn't currently know about. This is why access isn't open, not even to managers - there could always be confidential mails which are entirely legitimate work-wise, but should not be seen by anyone other than sender and recipient.

And if there is an easier way of dealing with it, then surely that is the way to handle it in any case?

I'm sorry I'm with the OP on this, I do feel that this is an element of micro-managing and therefore bullying. If it can be resolved by asking other people why does he need to monitor your e-mails.