Can I sue my employer for viewing my private email on my home computer via VPN?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I sue my employer for viewing my private email on my home computer via VPN?
Asked on January 25, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, New York
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Assuming (1) it was your computer, not the company's, and (2) you did not send the email using a company server, internet connection, email system, etc., then what they did is wrong. (Companies may view emails sent using their own equipment and systems.) However, even if what they did is wrong, it is unclear what you could sue them for, unless you have suffered some injury or loss due to this. That is because the U.S. legal system, for the most part, only compensates for actual injuries, not "just" violations of rights; therefore, if you did not lose money, lose a job, etc., if you sued the company, the odds are good that you would expend more on the lawsuit than you could recover in terms of compensation.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.