If an employee complains to her boss about receiving inappropriate email messages and links to pornographic websites from coworkers, can an employer just step in and review the messages and see where the trail leads? Pepper Hamilton partner Susan Lessack responds with a qualified “yes” to such an inquiry on Business Management Daily.
She suggests that all businesses put a computer policy in place stating that employees should have no expectation of privacy in their Internet use or emails. But even if no policy exists, Lessack says the employer ought to be able to review the emails that have been sent or received on the company’s information systems if there is a legitimate reason because they belong to the business. However, she advises owners not to try to access emails that are in the process of being transmitted.
