QUESTION
Is it legal for an employer to hack in to your personal email after you leave the company & are no longer employed or affiliated with them in any way?
Asked on May 29th, 2012 on Intellectual Property - Texas
More details to this question:
After leaving my former employer in December of 2011 by tendering a proper resignation , I became aware that the general manager was logging into my personal email. I was not an employee at the time. I have proof including several witnesses that saw him as well as a screen shot of my gmail account showing the company IP address and time of date he logged on which includes 4 times in 1 day. My personal email includes banking information, my social securtiy number, mortgage details and loan information as well as my medical records. I did contact Human Resources regarding the incident , but they have yet to acknowledged it. I feel that my personal information and my identy has been compromised and I am very concerned with what he plans on doing with my personal information. Please let me know what rights I have in this situation. Thank you.
1 ANSWER
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You may have both civil claims as well as the ability to make a criminal complaint against your former employer and the general manager. Of course, the "personal information" that your former employer could have seen through this inquiry sounds a lot like the same kind of information that any employer collects -- SSN, bank account data for payroll, etc. -- so it is difficult to see how you have been harmed in a monetary way. Nevertheless, this access is impropoper, and you should consult with an attorney if you want to pursue the claim in civil litigation. Obviously, change your password.
Answered on May 30th, 2012 at 4:57 AM