Employees Emailing other Employees that they are Quitting

BenefitsAdmin

We have a couple of employees who have been emailing their co-workers that they are giving notice, looking for other employment or quitting. Is the company permitted to use these emails as evidence to confront the employees?

Crout

Absolutely. Emails writtn on company equipment on company time belong to the company. You should, however, be able to verify that the EE's in question were the people who wrote the email.

Whatever

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-25-03 AT 10:27AM (CST)[/font][p]I agree with Crout. Furthermore, as part of our company rules, the company reserves the right to monitor etc. all computers.

LisaMN

Are you sure you want to confront these ees? Is this the 1st conversation about leaving? do you want to lose them? do you want to keep them? I'd be prone to consider more than appropriate use of the company's e-mail in this situation.....

Down_the_Middle

I would agree with the other posters ONLY if this e-mail was sent to a member of management. This type of communication between employees is hardly an official notification and shouldn't be viewed as such. Is this method of communication any different from 2 employees talking during a meal period or rest break?? Would the organization view this type of verbal conversation between employees as intent to resign??? I don't think so. Certainly not in my org.

Whatever

This could start a whole debate. If two employees, on their own time, want to talk to each about leaving the company or anything else that is their right. However, if two employees, on their own time, want to communicate with each by using a company owned computer, they have forfeited their right. The issue is what is company policy on the use of company computers for non-business related e-mails.