Tribunal backs e-mail policy at Barclaycard

An employment tribunal has upheld Barclaycard’s right to access its
employees’ e-mails.

Hilary Miseroy, 40, from Northampton, was sacked from the credit card firm
last September over the content of e-mail messages on his computer.

The two-day hearing in Bedford last week threw out Miseroy’s claim of unfair
dismissal, ruling the organisation had acted in a correct manner.

Routine monitoring by the firm found 900 personal e-mails stored on
Miseroy’s computer.

Further investigation uncovered evidence of Miseroy supplying cannabis to a
colleague, insulting e-mails to fellow staff and sharing confidential company
information with a rival firm.

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Speaking to Personnel Today, Barclaycard’s HR director John Sands said the
firm operates a cleare-mail and internet policy so employees know they will be
monitored for excessive use and inappropriate content.

"In this situation, during monitoring, the company came across an
excessive number of personal e-mails. Because of this, we looked at the
content," he said.