24/08/2001

Institute of Management issue employer warning

Bosses who phone staff at home or vet employees’ e-mails could face legal action, UK executive representatives have warned.

A report by the Institute of Management has said that an employer did not have the right to demand an employee's telephone number, unless it was specified in the contract that the employee had a duty to be available outside normal working hours.

The institute also warned that unauthorised vetting of e-mails and phone calls could be considered an invasion of privacy, even if employees were thought to be sending personal messages through company lines.

The institute also warned that the introduction of legislation last October allowing firms to tap phone calls or open e-mails sent by their employees could represent a breach of the Human Rights Act, introduced three weeks before.

The institute's warning was backed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which has also cautioned executives over email monitoring. (MB)

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