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Original poster

My boss reads my emails

46 replies

Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:23

I found out today that my boss reads my emails. They said they had found something they were going to print out and when I looked to see where it had come from it was from my email address. Sent to me. It related to a financial statement sent from a company and as I am the accounts person I normally receive them - standard fare really. But I am miffed they had obviously been going through my emails. It had only just come into my email. Is this normal? Bosses out there - do you read your staffs' emails? if that is the right way of putting it

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Thebluedog · 04/04/2018 20:25

Yes it’s normal. It’ll be in your T&Cs that they will have access to it, it’ll be in your IT security policy.

As a general rule anything on a computer can be read or monitored by the company at any time.

Thebluedog · 04/04/2018 20:28

Oh and just to add I don’t think it’s ‘normal’ that your boss reads everything on a regular basis. It’s normally monitored and backed up to cover the company should anything untoward happen, or you’re up to no good etc etc. When I worked in IT security we generally only have access to a boss if someone was on holiday and it was an emergency, or there was evidence of wrong doing

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:31

OK we are a small company so it wasn't mentioned but I guess it is common. It just made me feel like a child

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Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:33

That I can understand. The IT dept have access if necessary but to be just cruising through employees emails I found a bit OTT

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AlbertaSimmons · 04/04/2018 20:37

I worked for a MD who read every mail in and out of the company. He had all the accounts open on his screen so he could see all email traffic. I only found out by chance, went back to my department and told my team as I thought it was only fair they knew. We did a lot of telephoning after that Wink. It may be perfectly legal, but it creeped me out tbh.

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:42

I can imagine Alberta! That's really yucky! Everyone new starting should have been warned. I have heard about this at my last place that each manager had access to their dept emails and I suspect some do and some don't use it!

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Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:42

They obviously haven't got enough to do themselves!

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LemonysSnicket · 04/04/2018 20:43

Yeah my company has access to all of my emails

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:47

I don't think it is right. If you suspect someone of doing something then you could perhaps gain access but to just do it all the time shows a lack of respect and trust I think. But then again it is their company and they are just very controlling about it.

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Springtrolls · 04/04/2018 20:48

It’s standard. As is monitoring computer access.

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:50

It's a bit like listening at doors - didn't your mother tell you not to - you may hear something bad about yourself!

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Canwejustrelaxnow · 04/04/2018 20:51

I don't think this is normal, not in the way you describe. Yes your email is company property but a boss would normally request access in exceptional circumstances or when an employee leaves etc. I think they should inform you that they will be checking your account and printing emails.

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 20:55

I agree - because also stuff gets lost that way too in a busy office!

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TittyGolightly · 04/04/2018 20:55

Not standard. We have a manager on disciplinary for doing it to his staff. Massive breach of our IT security policy (NHS).

amzi · 04/04/2018 20:57

My family own a business and my father (the boss), will occasionally read employee emails, he has full access to them. In the past we have found that employees are misinforming clients and producing inaccurate prices via emails, so it’s very valuable for us to check the emails and correct employees etc.

bastardkitty · 04/04/2018 20:58

That's what WhatsApp's for!

Drumknott · 04/04/2018 20:59

No, it's not normal and it's not an effective way to manage people either. How do you even have time to read your team's e-mail, I've enough to do with my own?!

BerylStreep · 04/04/2018 21:03

We have a no expectation of privacy clause clearly visible on the log in screen.

It's only usually accessed in the case of suspected wrongdoing though.

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 21:07

I think I am going to have to mention something because there are other things happening like correcting me whilst I am talking with a client on the phone. Tell me who can listen to a client in one ear and their boss talking at the same time in the other ear really loudly!! I do have quite a lot of experience of customer relations and I find this quite rude. Now there's the email printing too...

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DariaG · 04/04/2018 21:08

If it is your work email address then the boss can check it anytime, I used to work in a very small company and all the employees had access to each other's emails just in case we needed to get certain information very urgently. Can't see why anyone would mind it really

AnnieOH1 · 04/04/2018 21:09

There has only ever been once I have actively monitored (for my old employer) a member of staff who we were having some major performance issues with, but where the information was time critical. My colleague wasn't aware, IT set it up to forward all messages from his account into a secondary inbox of mine named in such a way that it didn't link to me.

I don't know of any companies though that don't reserve the right to monitor communications including phone calls as well.

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 21:10

OK I get that and we are a small company too but not when I am sitting in the same office. Maybe when I am on holiday?

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starzig · 04/04/2018 21:13

You will probably find IT read them too

DeathByMascara · 04/04/2018 21:13

Happens in my work too, and I feel the same as you do - as though I’m not trusted. Feels quite belittling really!

Original poster
Monkee4 · 04/04/2018 21:15

IT should mind their own business and get a life IMO ! (we don't actually have an IT department as such lol!)

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