Bosses should stop snooping on staff email – MP

Tory MP Michael Fabricant is looking to introduce a Bill that would stop employers from snooping on employees' email.

The Lichfield MP wants to give the same level of privacy in law for emails, as currently exists for conventional mail and telephone calls.

Mr Fabricant says he is looking to introduce the legislation at a time when a growing number of employers are monitoring their employees' email.

A report out earlier this week found that one in five of firms monitor employee Net usage on a daily basis, compared with one in ten 18 months ago. The same survey also found that email and Net abuse at work have become the number one reason why UK employees face the sack.

"While I appreciate that employers need to be satisfied that their employees are working during the hours for which they are paid, it does not give them the right to snoop into the private emails of their employees.

"With the huge increase in electronic communication, it is imperative that Parliament moves to protect the individual's right to privacy in this new medium," said Mr Fabricant.

The MP insists that while he wants people to be protected at work, he believes emails should still be monitored by the police and security services to counter crime and terrorism, just as long as they've obtained a court warrant to do so. ®

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