Help... left my terminal unlocked at work...

Vader123

Some allow "reasonable" use for personal mail

She sent 50 today to her husband.

Tha would break most "reasonable use" policies.

Vader

real1314

Under the "Computer Misuse Act" it is a criminal offence to access data without appropriate right or authorisation to do so.

Looks like the OPs colleague has done just that.

Whilst the employer may have every right to check emails etc, the colleague has no right at all. They have taken advantage of the OPs situation to commit an offence.

See your Trade Union if you have one, maybe an employment rights solicitor if you haven't

Rebchappers

Vader123 wrote: »

She sent 50 today to her husband.

Tha would break most "reasonable use" policies.

Vader

Sorry, i have probably not explained that very well. The last 50 or so of my emails in the sent box were to him... this spans a couple of weeks. Not all sent today. I was just making the point that these sent emails were obvioulsy not theirs, so why continue to search through the other hundreds.

Please dont think that im not remorseful in anyway. I know i shouldnt have spoken about this colleague, and will take any punishment coming my way for this. As they say, i have done the crime.. I was just very angry that somene would go through my computer so obviously.

Anihilator

real1314 wrote: »

Under the "Computer Misuse Act" it is a criminal offence to access data without appropriate right or authorisation to do so.

Looks like the OPs colleague has done just that.

Whilst the employer may have every right to check emails etc, the colleague has no right at all. They have taken advantage of the OPs situation to commit an offence.

See your Trade Union if you have one, maybe an employment rights solicitor if you haven't

The OP knew that the other party had accessed their computer and allowed it. The colleague will claim they didnt access them and inadvertently saw them and reported it.

Prove any of this wrong? Even if they do it has no relevance to the OP's actions and they can still be discliplined

nickyhutch

Vader123 wrote: »

She sent 50 today to her husband.

Tha would break most "reasonable use" policies.

Vader

I didn't say it wouldn't; I was just stating the facts.

Rebchappers

{The OP knew that the other party had accessed their computer and allowed it. The colleague will claim they didnt access them and inadvertently saw them and reported it.}

I didnt know... the colleague specifically told me that they had logged me off. Stupidly, i believed them. How can they claim they didnt access them, when they would have had to read through hundreds of them to find these emails?

Again, i know i was wrong to send these emails and im not trying to get out of that. Just that they shouldnt have gone through my computer on purpose.

DVardysShadow

Anihilator wrote: »

The OP knew that the other party had accessed their computer and allowed it. The colleague will claim they didnt access them and inadvertently saw them and reported it.

Prove any of this wrong? Even if they do it has no relevance to the OP's actions and they can still be discliplined

Assuming that this si an office where there is no such thing as 'your computer' - it is all on a personal logon which automatically connects you to your own emails, your pretext for the colleague does not stand scrutiny.

Rebchappers

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Assuming that this si an office where there is no such thing as 'your computer' - it is all on a personal logon which automatically connects you to your own emails, your pretext for the colleague does not stand scrutiny.

Could you explain what you mean? Sorry my head is a bit messy at the mo

McKneff

Its human nature, isnt it.
You would have done exactly the same if the positions were reversed.
Woldnt we all. Well maybe not all of us. But its got to be tempting.

No matter what happens, it will happen. Worrying about it wont affect the outcome.

Try not to worry about it too much. The stress can affect your baby so think about that first and try to relax.

scottishf

Reading someone else's email without their knowledge and consent surely isnt right.....different if the email was being monitored by the company.