Any Legal Beagles here?? Boring Question....

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sirius

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Dec 28, 2001
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Right, just a quick question. Would you appreciate mail addressed to your name being blocked by your employers so you are non the wiser about something???.

This has happened to me late this week, havent tackled the bosses yet because a) they have been out all the time and b) I dont know where I stand legally.
It wasnt anything too important I missed - it was an invitation to a free seminar on the latest developments in AutoCAD softwares - but surely it should be MY choice whether I want to book a holiday off work to go to it or not- (the tight gets wont let you go on work time even if its in thier benifit)......its the principal of the thing. It got me wondering what else I have missed over the last 4 years!!!.

I found out about it when a local salesman for autodesk got put through to me on the phone whilst the bosses were out, he asked me if I was coming or not - "what to?" I asked!!!, he explained he had sent promotional material about thier new software and invitations for me and the chief designer the week before.........addressed to us, but through the company. We recieved zilch - not even a mention about it!!. Is it like the Dickensian period or what!?.

Does anyone know the situation with this, I was a bit cheesed off yesterday when I found out. Has this/ is this happening to you??. Do they have the right to filter your mail like this?.

I know its a boring topic, but I thought Id just see what u guys/gals reckon to it.......I dont wanna tackle them over it and they are perfectly entitled to do so.......:).


Thanks,

Sirius.
 
M

Missed(A)Monday

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Feb 25, 2002
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im the MD of a company, and my mail always gets opened, I wouldnt get paranoid sir, I ask for other peoples mail to be opened cos u shouldnt get private letters at work, thats it really kidder
 
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sirius

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Dec 28, 2001
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So, even if the mail is addressed to my name, I dont have the right to see it??. Why's that then?.
It wasnt really 'private' mail - like a love letter or bank details or sommet - it was a software salesmans invitation to a seminar on software which could really benifit the company (he had been to see us about it in the past). The software (AutoDesk Inventor 5.3) is something I am interested in - even if its not with my current employers.......perhaps this is why it got stopped because they dont want me to know what I am missing out on using our DOS evolved cack we work with now!!!.

Oh well, nevermind. I guess its just one of those annoying little things you have to put up with. I just dont agree with it.

Thanks m(a)m!,

Sirius.
 
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sirius

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Dec 28, 2001
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Thanks all for taking time out replying. Thats an intresting link too........

I have decided I am not going to cause a stink over it, I very rarely get any mail anywayz (or do I?!!!!) - but its the principal of the thing. Seeing that the particular subject matter of the mail wasnt private and confidential, I wouldnt have been all that bothered if they had opened it first- its the fact that it didnt even get to me that pissed me off more!!!!. I just wouldnt have known about it at all and that stinks - they are controlling the situation, and it should be me/ my choice.
If it *was* something really private and confidential then I would defo cause a bloody stirr because its just plain wrong in my book, and that of the human rights act too.......Id have them for it, the sneaky beggars!! :) :).

Cheers,

Sirius.
 
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dannster

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Nov 11, 2001
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www.dannster.com
Could they have possibly mis-spelt your email address? but got the last part right (the bit after the @)

At my place if one character was wrong in the first part, it would not go through to me and Systems Admin would have the email.

like for instance

joebloggs@somewhere.com

instead of
joe.bloggs@somewhere.com

Wouldnt go through and therefore ends up in the sys admin account (or your bosses possibly). Not sure if its same at your place but thats what happened at mine
 
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sirius

Registered Member
Dec 28, 2001
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Cheers dannster, but we're still on snail mail!!!!. I should have been more specific soz:axe: . Could of been it though, if it was electronic mail like you say....That makes it worse in my opinion, when its an actual envelope with your name on!!. Its only a smallish firm, so its not as if its major hassle to pass it on to me - its just down the stairs and across the room!!. Your right though - mishaps can happen with those emails though cant they??!!. When/if we do get 'with it' I shall bring that to mind........

Thankyou,

Sirius.
 
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DJ Qual-e-T

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Mar 28, 2002
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It's common policy in some workplaces for an employer to have mail opened before it reaches you. It's supposedly to cut down on fraud and to stop people running a business or making an income whilst being paid by an employer.
Nearly all local councils/schools/colleges have mail opened to stop this kind of thing. It's supposed to be opened by one bod in the presence of another bod.
Don't think they should stop the mail actually arriving at your desk after they have opened it (as long as the mail is of a decent kind).

I Don't really agree with this, but that's the society that we live in !
 
T

The Frog Meister

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Oct 22, 2001
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Fundling around in the dark.....
www.beebock.com
* beebock puts his legal cap on *

For the mail opening it stands on the basis that it is work related, and all work produced / received / consceived etc... is the property of the company, therefore they can open up your mail and read it and not hand it to you.

They are authorised to withold it. WITHOUT A REASON as it is the companies property not yours EVEN if it's in your name.

The company may have decided that they will lose to much in sending you to that seminar, that it may not be in your line of work, or that they have a load on that means they need all hands on deck.

If a company sends around every single seminar thingy they will never have anyone in the office to actually do the work.

If you want them to pay for you then you have to prouve the benefit of the course to the company.

If you wish to do it in your own time, then it is up to you ( not the company) to find the seminar and get it sent to your home address so that the invitation belongs to you not the company.

I hope that this clears things up for you :)

Sorry buddy but the law is like that. I work for a training company and I know how hard it is sometimes to see some of the guys...


ANd the same rule applies for emails :) they are just harder to actually stop because the sysadmin can not guess the email addy it comes from
 
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sirius

Registered Member
Dec 28, 2001
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Cheers for clearing it up Beebock. I see where the laws coming from - but I still dont like it!!. I just never realised this sort of thing went on before - it was a bit of an eye opener to a nieve pup like me. They could have just denied me time off, or explained that they are reaaly snowed under and I wouldnt have gone.

Oh well its just one of those things I suppose :). Not worth getting too upset about. I have far more stuff to worry and fret about....

I thought it was just my companys (family run) dodgy close-knit practices.....but if its the law then although it stinks, its there for a reason.

Thanks all for replying.

Boy, am I glad I didnt tackle them over it! :$

Sirius.
 


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