Two ex-Kwik-Fit employees are suing their former bosses for unfair dismissal, after they were sacked for sending smutty emails on the company network. They claim that the company had no clear policy covering email use or content at work.

Cases like this could become more common if companies fail tighten up their regulations, Content Technologies, an online content security specialist claims.

Without clear guidelines, employees sacked for inappropriate or unauthorised Internet use, could legitimately take their ex-employers to court. There is already a long list of well-publicised candidates, including Lois Franxhi, an IT manager who was sacked for surfing the Web in her lunch hour, and five people sacked by Rolls Royce for sending porn over the corporate network.

Also, earlier this year, a man successfully contested claims of sexual harrassment after a colleague used his email address to send rude messages to a woman at the Bible Society.

However, if you are an employer terrified of abusive or even slightly saucy emails whizzing around you corporate intranet, Content Technologies has thoughfully provided a product that will protect your network.

The MAILsweeper, part of the company's MIMEsweeper familiy of products scans incomming and outgoing email for obscenities, viruses, virus hoaxes and confidential information, enforcing email policy across the board. ®