Sacked for using a fake email address

Undervalued

Unless this is a complete wind up, I assume there is far more to it and the OP has reason to be worried?

I see some have trotted out the usual generalisations "what you do in you own time isn't the employer's business" which can be nonsense in certain situations!

If the colleague walking by has unmasked the OP as the true owner of a particular email address then, depending on what that address has been used for, there could be a problem.

As others have said, the OP needs to give full but anonymous details to get any useful responses.

SusieT

So, if I had an email account in the name of Nellie Elephant and was looking at it in my lunch hour, what business of anyone else is it? If someone saw it and saw that my name is Sue Txxx why is it a problem? As others have said, a LOT more information is needed as it seems to be a total non event

billy2shots

Title says 'using a fake email address '

Presumably for wrong doing otherwise use a fake email. 

So was this email address used for inbound or outbound communication relating to your work?

TELLIT01

The entire story makes no sense.  If the OP was using the phone in a corridor, in their own time or otherwise, nobody would be able to see the e-mail address they are using, let alone determine that it was a 'fake' e-mail address, report that 'fact' and get the OP sacked.  There is far more to this than has been revealed so far.

born_again

Just what is a fake email address?

None of my personal email address have anything to do with my name. only my work email has my name in it.

Grumpy_chap

thomasparker430 said:

Basically I was using my phone and someone came past from another office, I was looking at a fake email address that I had. Could I get into trouble for having a fake email address? 

thomasparker430 said:

So basically I looking at my phone during lunch time in a corridor, I was looking at my emails. I was looking at my fake email account and someone came past, they looked at my phone and then my Id and saw the name on the Id didn’t match the name on an email that I had open 

I don't know how someone walking by can see an e-mail address that easily, but I'll accept they did see the information somehow.

The OP says they were on their lunch break, so no issue with being on work time, but:
1. The OP was on work premises which imposes some restrictions in some cases.
2. I can't see whether it was the OP's personal phone or an employer-provided device - could make a difference to what is allowed and sometimes personal phones are not allowed in the workplace.

Them the issue might be not using the fake e-mail address, but what the content was behind that fake / temporary e-mail address.  Was the content NSFW?

OR, is it what the fake e-mail address was and some link with the business?
If Thomas Parker works for Bob the Builder Corporation and the fake e-mail address was along the lines of "Sir Bob @ Bob The Builder dot com" and Sir Bob is the CEO of the company, then it can be seen why that fake e-mail address would be a concern to the business.

More information needed to provide more helpful comment to the OP.

Brie

My employer had severe restrictions about mobiles in that none were allowed in the office during working hours.  Which meant you had to leave your mobile in your locker away from the work floor.  This did not prevent you from going to your locker on your lunch break, taking your mobile to the loo or the staff restaurant or outside to read your messages/emails/etc.  None of their busines whatever the name is on the email account.  Unless it was some variation using the company name which would get someone sacked immediately.

robatwork

"Sacked for vagueness m'lud"
"Upheld. Case closed"

Edi81

Reading some of the OPs other posts they have a habit of being very vague and not explaining the issue. 

Was the email connected to the eharmony account?

Ath_Wat

TELLIT01 said:

The entire story makes no sense.  If the OP was using the phone in a corridor, in their own time or otherwise, nobody would be able to see the e-mail address they are using, let alone determine that it was a 'fake' e-mail address, report that 'fact' and get the OP sacked.  There is far more to this than has been revealed so far.

Or, more likely, far less.