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

Anihilator

It really doesnt matter how the person got hold of them. Thats an entirely different issue and wont change the outcome of the OP's discliplinary.

poet123

Two seperate issues. One misuse of company email account, using for personal emails whatever the content.

Second issue, colleague accessing emails on someone elses account. Interfering with another colleagues account is a sackable offence.

Both are a dodgy ground, but imo the colleague who accessed the account will fare worst.

Anihilator

poet123 wrote: »

Two seperate issues. One misuse of company email account, using for personal emails whatever the content.

Second issue, colleague accessing emails on someone elses account. Interfering with another colleagues account is a sackable offence.

Both are a dodgy ground, but imo the colleague who accessed the account will fare worst.

Bull.

They will just plead ignorant and state that whilst shutting down an ill colleagues PC who had gone home they inadvertently discovered them. Very hard to prove otherwise and this would be at worst a verbal warning for breach IT policy but even then I doubt it would happen.

The OP has spent a lot of time sending personal emails during work hours, stored these and been using office equipment to bully/bad mouth a colleague and not locking terminals. All easily documented.

The OP will be lucky to have a job. The colleague will at worst get a verbal warning

poet123

Anihilator wrote: »

Bull.



They will just plead ignorant and state that whilst shutting down an ill colleagues PC who had gone home they inadvertently discovered them. Very hard to prove otherwise and this would be at worst a verbal warning for breach IT policy but even then I doubt it would happen.

The OP has spent a lot of time sending personal emails during work hours, stored these and been using office equipment to bully/bad mouth a colleague and not locking terminals. All easily documented.

The OP will be lucky to have a job. The colleague will at worst get a verbal warning

Bull ( as you so charmingly put it!)

How do you inadvertently perform a search whilst logging someone off?

If as the OP states the messages were not current, and it is obvious that the colleague has had to "dig" to uncover them, they will be in deep trouble. The IT dept will be able to trace the searches and see what the person accessed.

Depending on the postions, the OP could have had confidential info on there, payroll, HR details etc about other employees. The colleague was snooping, unauthorised, using the log in details of another person. The OP was ill, and during that illness left a colleague to log off for her, the colleague stated that she had done so but that colleague chose not to do so, a clear breach of trust and policy by anyones standards.

The OP will be disciplined, but the bigger crime belongs to the colleague. Supposing this was overlooked because she had uncovered something, does that give her carte blanche to do the same on every unattended PC?

Bobl

Interesting isn't it how the facts get twisted after a few posts.

The colleague was authorised by the OP to look at their emails - by letting them sit at the terminal without the OP logging off - fact.

The OP sent emails referring to this colleague, who then took offence - fact

That's all there is to it. Whether it is morally wrong to look through other peoples emails does not come into it - stick to the facts.

OP -As you have already said, apologise to the colleague and your boss - I am sure you have learnt a valuable lesson - log off at all times when you leave your desk, it takes about 3 seconds.

Good Luck

foxy-roxy

I take it your colleague had an idea that you had been emailing things about her or just knew you didn't like her, otherwise why would she search?
Ah well, what's done is done, and the best you can do now is just apologise and take it easy, try not to stress.

DVardysShadow

Bobl wrote: »

The colleague was authorised by the OP to look at their emails - by letting them sit at the terminal without the OP logging off - fact.

This is a wonderful fact. It is related to the other fact that if you invite someone into your home for a meal, they are entitled to rifle through your bank statements.

Pete111

There are two disciplinaries here.

The Op is potentially in the wrong depending on IT policy regarding email useage and possibly in relation to the greivance raised against her depending on the level of banter/abuse that has been flagged to Mgt. I think it unlikely she will be dismissed however unless the company is particularly draconian re personal use of email or the emails flagged are particularly inappropriate (ie racist etc).

However, the other party is unlikely to be deemed to have acted appropriately under any IT, Data protection or Conduct in the workplace type policy in seraching her sent items to the degree claimed. Simply put this is unacceptable behaviour made worse in my view as the OP trusted this individual to act properly in logging her off her pc when she was suddenly taken unwell. The other party has proved to the company that she may not be of trustworthy character by her actions.

The fact she has raised this as a greivance against the OP needs to be dealt with but should not protect her here. I would be likely issuing her with at least a written warning for her behaviour assuming the OPs take on events is accurate.

P

Shelldean

Why is everyone so hung up on the fact the OP used the work comp for her emails?? She has clearly stated this in post 26

"I am allowed to use my works computer for personal use. In fact, we are allowed to use it for email and internet for up to 2 hours a day"


So to mind OP has not broken any rules just been careless due to feeling ill.

WaveyDave_2

I work in an IT role, the guidance we have from our Data Protection Officer, is that although the organisation "owns" the equipment and in essence the data, we still have to respect the privacy of the individual. We are allowed to access other users' mail for purposes of assisting with an enquiry, in certain circumstances (such as sickness) we are also allowed to grant access to a colleague with authorisation from their line manager, with the guidance that they are not allowed to access any mail that might be considered personal.

Based purely on our guidelines, I would say that the colleage has possibly breached the IT policy moreso than the OP. In my organisation, staff are allowed to use the internet and email for private purposes (as with the OP).