Email Privacy at Work Email at our company is reserved for business purposes only. The computers and software are the property of the company and are therefore used exclusively for daily office use. We reserve the right to monitor all use of email, even if you use a private email account. This is to ensure that our employees act professionally and do not reveal company secrets. Additionally, employees should never treat what they write as private, regardless of the circumstances. If you write it on company computers it is considered public, even if you put the email in a private folder. According to NOLO.com, a Texas court has ruled that, unlike a private employee locker where an employee can expect some degree of privacy, they have no expectation of privacy in a "private" folder. Another example, if you are alone time, but still at work, such as a lunch break. Regardless of when you write the email, if you write it at work, it's public. You may be wondering, “What is the appropriate email?” Obviously, defaming other company members or customers is prohibited, as is sending emails containing secret information. A good rule of thumb is this. If, for whatever reason, you don't feel comfortable printing the email on your computer and then leaving it on your desk for anyone to read, you probably shouldn't write or send that email. Consequences If an employee, via email, is found to have violated one or more company policies, appropriate action will be taken. Depending on the case, the employee may also be fired. A Pennsylvania company has in fact assured its employees that their e-mail will not be intercepted and used against them. Despite this claim, the company reviewed a supervisor's emails and used them as the basis for the termination. According to the Pennsylvania federal court, this was perfectly legal (NOLO.com). The court ruled that the company's interest in preventing inappropriate or illegal activity outweighs the employee's right to privacy. Additionally, any email can be used against our company in court. A judge can use any private or personal email against us and this will be legally confirmed.