Though most companies have a policy allowing them to screen any electronic communications that pass through their network, Edward Leonard went beyond his rights as an employer by checking Bonnie Van Alstyne's personal e-mail account after he fired her. But employer access to current employees' e-mail is OK–with conditions.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to be upfront about what personal employee communications the company may peek into.

“The way the law works, you can monitor pretty much anything you want to, as long as you tell employees you're going to do it,” says Wiley Rein Partner Kirk Nahra. Additionally, he says if it's in the policy that an employer might screen personal e-mails sent from company computers, then it actually has do so at some point.

Though most companies have a policy allowing them to screen any electronic communications that pass through their network, Edward Leonard went beyond his rights as an employer by checking Bonnie Van Alstyne's personal e-mail account after he fired her. But employer access to current employees' e-mail is OK–with conditions.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to be upfront about what personal employee communications the company may peek into.

“The way the law works, you can monitor pretty much anything you want to, as long as you tell employees you're going to do it,” says Wiley Rein Partner Kirk Nahra. Additionally, he says if it's in the policy that an employer might screen personal e-mails sent from company computers, then it actually has do so at some point.