Many employers have policies that limit use of the company’s e-mail
system and Internet access to company business. Despite these
policies, employees routinely use their employer’s e-mail system and
Internet access for personal business, including shopping or playing games
on the Internet, sending digital pictures to relatives and personal e-mail
messages to friends, and even communicating with their
attorneys. Courts have ruled that, if the employer has a clear policy
reserving the use of company-owned computers and Internet access for
business reasons only, employees have no right to privacy in their e-mail
messages or Internet access logs that used company hardware and software.