Can your team manager read team messages where he wasn't included in the conversation?

[Boringmouse]

Just that really. He has access to my emails, does that extend to teams chat?

I doubt management have time to read through Teams chats for the general fun of it but yes they could access anything written on a company owned system if they needed/wanted to.

If he has access and you think he may not have read it yet, delete the chat and ask your friend to delete it from her side.
I have Teams chat with colleagues who are friends, we start off on Teams then if it gets controversial we swap to Whatsapp.

Surely he can’t have access to your full email account at all times without it being made very clear that this is the case. I know it’s possible technically but doesn’t that break some form of data protection law.

No, not if it's a work email. I have access to the emails of all of my team. The rule in my company is that we won't look in a folder marked "Personal" but aside from that, we would have full access.

I dont have access to teams but I'm sure I could if I needed to, but it would probably be only for a specific reason, ie I thought someone was skiving / not logging into work etc.

Before I started, people were definitely caught out using the previous IM system to slag off another team member and it was used against them - one person was sacked and the others got a disciplinary.

I would have to make a formal request to access anyone's email or Teams chat in my team. It would need to be a very good reason and be signed off at a senior level. Definitely not automatic.

I've only known it happen twice, once where someone had died and there was a need to see if there was anything that needed to be taken over and once where someone had been suspended for what would hVe been gross misconduct if he hadn't resigned in the next few days.

Yes. Never. Ever. Put anything in Teams that you wouldn't want brought up in a management meeting.

It doesn't break any data protection laws as long as it's part of the privacy policy and end user agreement.

It's a company email account, property of the company and you need to use it in accordance with company rules.

If you use it for personal reasons then you are choosing your make that information available to your company's

There's a reason I don't use the work WiFi and only talk to people face to face about certain things

Most usage policies for companies include a clause that as the company owns the equipment and pays for the licences then if necessary they can access anything on a company laptop.

As part of an onboarding process staff will be asked to agree to email/internet usage policies that include these clauses as a condition of employment.

It doesn’t mean they’re sitting about reading everyone’s emails & teams chats all day but they could do if they wanted to.

This is good advice and something I have always advised my DCs of regarding posting on social media.

It’s going to depend on what permissions your company has granted your manager.

Every keystroke and click you make is recorded. Your manager might have access to all of it or none of it.

you should always assume someone is watching though. Also that everything you do is subject to legal discovery.

its likely that there is software monitoring your key strokes too - I work for a large company and have done misconduct hearings where the software has picked up swear words or inappropriate terms

Take it to WhatsApp op

Yes this.

Teams chats can be requested as part of data protection (subject access) requests too. (And as part of FOI requests if you work for a public body).

Assume anyone in IT can view, and any manager /HR advisor/lawyer can request to view as appropriate

Thanks for the responses I understand that ultimately someone in the company may be able to review your emails should the need arise, I’m more surprised at a manager having anytime access to an email account of a subordinate rather than just when they may need to review something for a legitimate reason. Not even all business related emails would necessarily be appropriate for a manager to read.

Yes, I have oversight of everything on Office in my organisation. The fact is that I work on the basis of trust until it is disproven and am generally too busy to look.

Remember also that if he puts in a subject Access Request about what has been written about it, IT are legally bound to provide anything within the scope of the request

As an IT team we do not use Teams to slag off users

Never write inappropriate things within your workplace IT.

And remember even if not easily accessible much can be found via a SARs request.

I dismissed two staff members after a SARs request found they'd been using workplace apps to discuss other colleagues. It was gross misconduct.

Our uplines can access our accounts and delete emails. Assume you're being watched at work if using their equipment/email/teams and always act accordingly.

Even whatsapp and social media groups can end in disciplinary action. I've seen it happen. Just don't put things in writing you wouldn't be ok with defending in a meeting is a good rule of thumb.

No matter how many f-ups your manager has done, to have discussed it openly on MS Teams is really poor behaviour.

What type of business do you work in? And what level of management can just access your emails as they see fit. Surely there are some rules and if they need to have that much oversight of your emails then there should be a shared mailbox. What if you need to email HR with something like a sick note or details of a grievance you're raising against the manager who can read everything you write?

Like I say, I’m not disputing that the company you work for can access anyone’s email, or that a professional approach is required I’m just shocked at managers having open access to their teams mailboxes.

I'm extremely uncomfortable with revealing anything about my job on this site.

They told us at induction that all organisation emails and teams could and might be monitored and that they're not ours, they're on loan, and I took them at their word.

Another who didn't received a reprimand and a teams chat thread was closed by their upline. I'd never use organisation email teams or hardware for anything remotely even possibly problematic. It's just safer.