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

loisa

I would say it depends what was said really.

Everyone talks about people in some way or other. If you were simply stating facts for example, referring to something that this person had not done properly relating to work then I wouldn't call that bullying, although it is probably not the best way to handle a situation.

On the other hand if it was just deliberate nastiness, unrelated to work then it is bullying and to be honest, I wouldn't want to work with people like that. Hopefully you have learnt your lesson. I wouldn't put anything in an email that I didn't want others to see and if I really felt like having a gossip I would save it for the staff canteen.

My betting is she knew exactly what she was doing but must have had some idea of what she would find. Searching through emails is very easy in a program such as Outlook and takes a few seconds, she would not have had to sit there and read hundreds of emails.
My last manager used to ask me to keep an eye on his inbox sometimes in case something urgent came in when he was out. I did search for my own name out of curiosity once, I wasn't expecting to find anything and I didn't! If I had, I would never have mentioned it, I think this other woman is also a bit foolish for admitting what she did.

jamespir

Shelldean wrote: »

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.

the op has sent spitful emails about another collegue thats bullying and therfore they have dones something wrong and it was their own stupid fault for leaving there terminal unlocked whenever you leave it you supposed to lock it

so ive no sympathy for them

pippitypip_2

My god, I'm so shocked at some of the comments on here.

My take is that in summary, the OP wrote a few emails over time that were not complimentary about a colleague. OP taken ill, runs off to the loo leaving colleague at her desk and doesn't log off. Colleague says don't worry go home, I've logged off for you and snoops in OP's email.

I really don't understand where people have cause to have a go at the OP in any of this? She's only human! I send personal emails at work, I'm sure everyone does and OP has already confirmed she is within her rights to do so according to her work policy.

Being ill and allowing a colleague to log you off your PC surely can't be an offence in any way, shape or form.

!!!!!ing about a colleague via work email - not advisable by any means but again, not an offence that I know of and would't come under bullying (unless additional circumstances we're not aware of?).

HOWEVER, colleague snooping in your emails most certainly IS an offence.

Really confused as to why everyone's giving you such a hard time OP - sorry!

pippitypip

pippitypip_2

loisa wrote: »

I wouldn't put anything in an email that I didn't want others to see.

Couldn't agree more - good advice

loisa wrote: »

if I really felt like having a gossip I would save it for the staff canteen.

Though sorry I couldn't agree less to this bit - if you want a good gossip, get the hell outta the work place full stop.

Listen to gossip fine, but commenting/ participating will only bite you on the !!! eventually! This way you get to know everything going on and be known around the office as someone neutral/ trustworthy rather than a gossip.

pippitypip

liney

Rebchappers wrote: »

This wasnt done by accident. It was deliberate and with intent.

Thank you all

As were you emails about your collegue.

You collegue deserves a warning for accessing your email, but i suspect they found something related innocently, then continued to search to find th evidence. Or perhaps you don't hide your resentment of them as well as you thought and they saw this as the perfect opportunity to prove what they know you are saying about them.

You company would be in their rights to dismiss you. My advice is the tell them you are pregnant if you haven't already, and they might be more wary of dismissal and go for a final written warning.

pippitypip_2

liney wrote: »

You company would be in their rights to dismiss you. My advice is the tell them you are pregnant if you haven't already, and they might be more wary of dismissal and go for a final written warning.

Sorry, maybe I'm being a bit dim, but would you mind explaining why the company would have a case for dismissal against the OP?

Thanks!
pippitypip

liney

pippitypip wrote: »

Sorry, maybe I'm being a bit dim, but would you mind explaining why the company would have a case for dismissal against the OP?

Thanks!
pippitypip

Bully and Harrassment of the "noseyparker" by use of email. More andmore of this type of thing is happening. Employees are being dismissed for slagging of their collegues on Facebook, for example.

Inapropriate use of Email (IT policy)

foxy-roxy

I don't see this as bullying as the colleague wasn't meant to see anything.
Bullying would be targeting the person and making sure they seen them, if the colleauge had just minded her own business and got on with her own work, none of this would have happened, simple as that.

p00hsticks

Rebchappers wrote: »

How can they claim they didnt access them, when they would have had to read through hundreds of them to find these emails?

Not necessarily - it depends on how unusual their name is and what mailing systems you are using. for example if you use Microsoft Outlook then the 'advanced find' facility can be used to automatically scan through all the mails in the mailbox and bring back any which contain a specified word or phrase in the text - it takes seconds.

loisa

pippitypip wrote: »

Couldn't agree more - good advice



Though sorry I couldn't agree less to this bit - if you want a good gossip, get the hell outta the work place full stop.

Listen to gossip fine, but commenting/ participating will only bite you on the !!! eventually! This way you get to know everything going on and be known around the office as someone neutral/ trustworthy rather than a gossip.

pippitypip

I meant that in a tongue in cheek kind of way! What I was really trying to say is that, in most workplaces there is a time and place to chat and have discussions. I agree that b1tching makes you sound unprofessional and at work you never really know who you can trust and who will repeat things that you have said out of context, so it is generally better not to.