Employers can read text messages sent from company property

[THEV1LL4N]

Another article i found:

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of employers this week, in a case that will allow supervisors to read through employee's texts if they feel work rules are possibly being violated.

In the unanimous 9-0 ruling, the justices said they felt a police chief in California did not violate constitutional rights when he read the transcripts of sexually explicit texts sent from an officer's pager.

The ruling says the reading of the messages was reasonable, because it had "a legitimate work-related purpose." The chief was looking into whether officers were using their text pagers for police work, or for personal matters.

Police Sergeant Jeff Quon has sued the city of Ontario, California after he was told his messages were being read, and Quon had won in the Court of Appeals before losing this week in the highest court.

Quon had been sending sexually explicit texts to his wife and a girlfriend.

 

[masta247]

So there are people who are actually still using pagers in the US?

 

[dilla]

^^ My dad does. I think most physicians do.

 

[Shadows]

Just pagers?

Thats some bulll

 

[Jokerman]

So there are people who are actually still using pagers in the US?

Yup. I also slice vegetables by hand.

The reason pagers are used by ppl who have to be reachable at all times, like doctors, nurses and police, is that they aren't as vulnerable to electronic interference as cell phones are and they use a lower frequency that penetrates structures better. You can get pages in places cell phone have no chance of working. You can also drop them in the toilet and they'll usually work. Plus they don't interfere with electronic stuff, such as life support monitors like cells can.

 

[ARon]

Yup. I also slice vegetables by hand.

That made me lol. I always laugh at the slap chop guy getting beat up by a hooker.



I'm not to mad about this, as long as it's the company that issued the pager or cell phone or whatever device. Now if it was my personal phone it'd be a different story. This dude is stupid for using his shit for personal business

 

[Synful*Luv]

Wait, text messages sent from company property WITH company property? Or with your own personal property?

If you're using company property for personal reasons, of course they can do that. But if it's your own personal cell phone... that's completely different.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

^^ exactly. though it may be possible for companies to check personal stuff in workplaces where data protection may be breached such as call centres like mine where they dont allow you to have your phone out. what they tell us to do is turn them off or put them away in our bags since we deal with client's personal info such as numbers, addresses, and can see all their records and history since its all part of the government/council/and maybe electoral register. but of course, i stay professional in the workplace.


but yea, if that guy used work resources for personal use then he is stupidly stupid.

 

[Synful*Luv]

Right.

Most companies give out company cell phones, like blackberries or something. I'm always surprised when people use them for personal phone calls and texts and are shocked to find out someone at the company is monitoring this stuff. Come on. Common sense, lol, it's not popular.

I haven't worked anywhere in awhile where I couldn't have my cell phone with me. Then again, I've been under contracts that do not allow me to discuss or share any information that I learn at the company and the penalty is legal action and jail time. LOL.