Boss and Email

[Anonymous]

I am currently teaching a course that runs entirely on an online platform. The students communicate with me through an email system built into the platform. I log into the platform with my staff ID and can then access my email account without further log in. Recently I had a small issue with a student and I told my boss I would forward her the email. She told me there was no need as she had already gone into my account and found it. I was pretty shocked that she had just gone into my email account and read the emails and taken what she needed. Obviously seeing as it is a work email I know that it is not my own and that likely she legally has access to it, however it just didn't sit right with me for some reason. I guess I just find it odd that she is behind the scenes reading my emails! I would have thought she would hav ecome to me first to either ask or even just inform me that she was going in to get an email.

Would you have an issue with this?

[Anonymous]

Yes, it would make me uncomfortable. I wouldn't confront her on it though. I'd just make sure nothing personal was ever done on there.

[Anonymous]

HR Bitch here.

If it's a work email you need to always be prepared for IT, HR or anyone higher up than you to see your emails.

Generally most people DO ask and let you get lulled into a false sense of security, but that's all it is. It's unsettling when it happens, but it does happen and they are within their rights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HR Bitch here.

If it's a work email you need to always be prepared for IT, HR or anyone higher up than you to see your emails.

Generally most people DO ask and let you get lulled into a false sense of security, but that's all it is. It's unsettling when it happens, but it does happen and they are within their rights.

What about websites? Are the feds doing every 7 second screenshots? If so, is anyone bothering to look at the reports?

[Anonymous]

HR bitch is correct. This is settled law. YOu have no right of privacy on your work email.

[Anonymous]

Shit boss.

[Anonymous]

At one fed agency 10% of emails are pulled and read.

[Anonymous]

Op here. That email is for the course only so every single email in that account is about the course and to and from students.

I guess I knew she could read them, I just didn't think she was. I wonder too if the students know that other people are reading the emails. A few have written about private issues going on in their lives, and so it feels odd to me that other people are reading them. it just feels a little voyeuristic or something.

[Anonymous]

Never expect privacy with work email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HR bitch is correct. This is settled law. YOu have no right of privacy on your work email.

Oh contraire bitch ma soeur. You still should be provided notice. At log on etc... Read your notice OP is first line boss included? Is it that vaguely written? Doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HR bitch is correct. This is settled law. YOu have no right of privacy on your work email.

Oh contraire bitch ma soeur. You still should be provided notice. At log on etc... Read your notice OP is first line boss included? Is it that vaguely written? Doubt it.

Psbyt yes. It ain't private

[Anonymous]

No. I have managed an online school and this is standard capability built into the software. They already gave notice when you signed whatever you signed at the beginning. Your boss should not have told you and should have just had you forward the emails to preserve the facade of privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. That email is for the course only so every single email in that account is about the course and to and from students.

I guess I knew she could read them, I just didn't think she was. I wonder too if the students know that other people are reading the emails. A few have written about private issues going on in their lives, and so it feels odd to me that other people are reading them. it just feels a little voyeuristic or something.

That does seem unfair to the students, but I would imagine she'd have to be pretty bored to go through and read emails for the heck of it.

[Anonymous]

Arguably this was a FERPA violation. Emails between profs and students constitute protected records, and I don't think an administrator can look at them just for the hell of it. Disclosing one troubling email for the purposes of administration is fine; but just going into a professor's email account and looking around? Not ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arguably this was a FERPA violation. Emails between profs and students constitute protected records, and I don't think an administrator can look at them just for the hell of it. Disclosing one troubling email for the purposes of administration is fine; but just going into a professor's email account and looking around? Not ok.

I assumed this was high school (don't know why, but maybe just because my daughter is in an online high school).
I would always personally assume anyone who owns my work email can/will go into my email. its not my property so makes sense to me.
I sort of understand the kids who send personal stuff (and by that I assume they aren't chit chatting with you about personal lives, but writing a paper that may include personal info, etc). I guess I think about it in the same way as what a kid would think if they handed in a paper at school. Do kids make assumptions that there is some kind of teacher/student confidentiality or something? personally I doubt they really think about it.

I think you just kind of feel unnerved at the perceived violation but really, its not a violation. Just feels that way.