You’ve suspected it for years. You wonder if its true. Yes folks, its true. Email is the property of your company, and as such, your manager gets to read it by request. Some companies have policies about who can read your email and under what circumstances. However, you should know that at least one of your IT folks can and probably does surf around in your email from time to time. Most IT employees are ethical and frankly don’t have the time or inclination to do this. But you should know that some aren’t very ethical and/or perhaps have a personal interest in what you’re writing. Or, a manager authorized this behavior for a number of reasons. Here are some tips:
- Don’t ever apply for jobs, send out your resumé, or respond to emails from potential employers from your work email. Some IT folks put blockers on attachments that include the word “resume” so they can notify your manager or others that you’ve sent out a resume.
- Save your company and boss bashing for your personal email account that you use at home. Remember that even if you use your personal email at work, it’s going through the company server.
- When you’re about to resign (and certainly if you have already done so), and you want to keep some of your work files, watch out. Many companies immediately scan your emails upon receiving your resignation. Others watch for files going out. Of course, don’t be stupid enough to send confidential company property out the door. I’m talking about your own work product that isn’t subject to non-compete clauses, etc.
If your IT guy (I’m not sexist…I haven’t actually seen this behavior in a female IT staff member) is one of those information-hording, tech-speaking, insecure asses, I can pretty much confirm that he’s reading your stuff. Particularly if you are in HR or leadership.
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