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

prowla

The computer you use at work is not yours, but the company's.
It is provided for you to do work on, period.
Most companys have a stated policy on this.

However, otoh, whilst it is certainly a severe disciplinary matter to be caught viewing dodgey stuff, I hardly think that a few emails to your other half are relevant.
In fact, most companys turn a blind eye to that and a bit of casual internet surfing too.
As long as you do your job, it shouldn't be an issue.

There is then the matter of who the information belongs to. I'm not sure that your private information belongs to the company even if it is held on their computer, so it may indeed be yours. (IANAL)
But, if they have a stated policy that they may inspect the information held on their equipment (or whilst being sent/received), then you've got no comeback.

There's then the matter of slagging off your colleagues in a non-private matter; if you had a conversation on the stairs and someone overheard it then that would be in the open, just like your email conversation has been seen by unintended people.
IMHO, saying things about your boss (or even putting them in writing) could be the most sticky point.

Last off, I wouldn't be trusting my colleagues again!

poet123

The comments were not about the Boss, but about the colleague who snooped. The Boss received a complaint from the colleague.

Anihilator

Tbh if I was the person hearing this discliplinary and the OP came in showed no remorse and tried to defect the issue by referring to what is a seperate act I would be far more likely to be strict and more harsh in my decision.

If the OP's IT policy is like most they have them on 1) Over use 2) Storing personal emails for longer than necessary 3) Content 4) Failing to secure a terminal 5) Bullying/Harassment

These are all likely to be warnings although dismissal isnt out of the question and if when asked about this the OP ignored their own behaviour and tried to bring a colleagues seperate actions into it I would dismiss.

The OP can bring a grievance if they feel it is justified about the colleague but thhis is seperate. Using it to mitigate their own behaviour will not endear them

Rebchappers

The 1800 odd emails were NOT personal emails.... 98% of them are work related and entirely confidential. Like i said previously, i have no problem with my employer looking through my computer... it is their equipment and their right to do so. My colleague had no right to do this.

Anihilator - at no point have i ever said that i am ignoring my own actions. Yes, knowing the grief that this has caused i would have never sent them. however, they were not derogitry or abusive in anyway and merely opinion.

danielle1977

where I work the IT department send out emails every 9/10 weeks asking us to delete our sent and deleted emails to frr up space or whatever-maybe you should try deleting some-I know some people like to save some 'important'ones, but you could delete personal ones and ones about other people. Hope it sorts itself out for you.

poet123

Anihilator wrote: »

Tbh if I was the person hearing this discliplinary and the OP came in showed no remorse and tried to defect the issue by referring to what is a seperate act I would be far more likely to be strict and more harsh in my decision.

If the OP's IT policy is like most they have them on 1) Over use 2) Storing personal emails for longer than necessary 3) Content 4) Failing to secure a terminal 5) Bullying/Harassment

These are all likely to be warnings although dismissal isnt out of the question and if when asked about this the OP ignored their own behaviour and tried to bring a colleagues seperate actions into it I would dismiss.

The OP can bring a grievance if they feel it is justified about the colleague but thhis is seperate. Using it to mitigate their own behaviour will not endear them

My company has no policy on storing emails, or over use. The terms bullying and harassment hardly apply here either...comments on being annoyed because a colleague is off sick and having to do extra work cannot be construed as either.

Failing to secure a terminal, whilst experiencing debilitatating morning sickness.....what a heinous crime:rolleyes: trusting a colleague to do the right thing.....another crime.

If I was the OP I would apologise for sending the message but stress it was no more than most people were saying, and that I felt my trust had been breached.

Zazen999

Hopefully, your manager will see sense, investigate and give you an informal warning; but will investigate the nosey parker and take that further. Your comments are just that, comment - not biatching, not slagging them off; just comment. Meanwhile, looking though up to 1200 emails is quite frankly - well, you know what it is. I'd personally not apologise at all to her, unless I had to to keep the job.

valos_mummy

And how long must it have taken her to read through all those emails....the OP has already said she wasn't referred to by name so she couldn't have done a name search; she would have had to go through them.

So for however long she was snooping through the OP's computer....she wasn't WORKING was she? She spent company time snooping. I really don't think she's thought it through before alerting management. :rolleyes:

as0ta

valos_mummy wrote: »

And how long must it have taken her to read through all those emails....the OP has already said she wasn't referred to by name so she couldn't have done a name search; she would have had to go through them.

So for however long she was snooping through the OP's computer....she wasn't WORKING was she? She spent company time snooping. I really don't think she's thought it through before alerting management. :rolleyes:

Hmm and if the company takes her actions into account, she could be in far more trouble than the OP.

pippitypip_2

imho it's the nosey parker who has committed an actual offence here - it would be a breach of policy to be logged on to a computer as someone else (i.e. the OP). Simples.

OP do let us know how your meeting goes with the boss - I am firmly of the view that whilst embarassing and being in a very awkward position - I believe you'd stand by what you wrote in your emails anyway. You were not slagging off the person concerned but merely having an opinion that it's irritating that they're off a lot and picking up their workload. This is by no means bullying or even a comment I'd be embarassed about - I really don't see what you've done wrong here at all.

Hope it goes well.

pippitypip