Using work email account for my personal things?

[problemfarang]

Hi guys,

 

Well im working in thailand and have an email account from my work. Of course it shows like where i work or like that. 

So im also kind of helping one of my friend's company which is based in germany. They are buying things from thailand and selling them, doing trading.

 

So last time she asked me to find something. So i found a company via google and they are the manufacturer of this product. Nest i send them an email from my real work account and introduced myself like im the presentative of this german company in thailand (i even have letter from them saying as i said). So i sent an email about this from my real work email account.

 

The company i sent email, replied to me in 10 min and he wrote 'dont you think its not ok to use your work email to do another work? you should use your personal email for this' I didnt reply him, no need.

 

Now, my real work email account is my personal email too if im not mistaken, right? this email account is not like just co-workers emailing among them, but we can use it for other things too. Because its also my personal email. Doesnt matter its my work. Also the email i send to the company is not related to my work or else. Im just helping them thats all. 

 

So, i was wondering if this was legal or else? ethic? Or i can use my real work email account only for work and some other personal things BUT kind of other works? Its like i just asked them what the german company needs and kind of introduced myself why i can do that (representative letter)

 

thanks

Edited May 31, 2021 by problemfarang

[timendres]

A company email account means that the company "owns" the account. They can access everything in it, and they can shut it down. Using it as a personal account makes no sense. You would have to ask the company for their policy regarding using the account for matters not related to company business. I suspect that would be frowned upon.

[Crossy]

IMHO it's a bit of a minefield.

 

Much depends upon your employer's company policy. Some will say absolutely no personal emails, others won't really care. Some picky outfits could even fire you!

 

Remember that company account isn't private, IT could well eavesdrop on email and web traffic.

 

When I was working for an Aussie company in Rome the IT department in Oz sent our office manager a congratulatory message on her impending happy news. Trouble was, she hadn't told anyone she was pregnant, but had searched "yournewbaby.com" or something similar.

 

 

 

[problemfarang]

thanks for the info guys,

 

Well, all i did is ask them if they have the product and introduced myself as the representative of that german company. 

 

Im not doing this for business or else. I dont give or do any harm to both sides. 

 

But ok, i will use another account. Thanks

[OneMoreFarang]

If you do business for your own company then use their account - that's why you have it.

If you use that account i.e. also to order a pizza then that isn't a big problem.

But if you use the business email of company A to do business for company B that is a problem.

And depending on the company you work for it's misleading. I.e. if you work for IBM with [email protected] and then you tell another company you are looking for xyz for a company in Germany that is misleading and unprofessional. 

 

It would be best if that German company provides you with an email with their domain name.

And get your own private email account for private things like registering for ThaiVisa and things like that.

 

And like already mentioned above. Your company email account is owned by your company. They can do with that account whatever they want. Delete it, forward it, never let you use it again. I know that because I am one of those IT guys who takes care of those things. 

[jackdd]

4 hours ago, problemfarang said:

The company i sent email, replied to me in 10 min and he wrote 'dont you think its not ok to use your work email to do another work? you should use your personal email for this' I didnt reply him, no need.

Are you sure that the answer was actually from the other company, and not from an admin in your own company? They might monitor your emails.

[problemfarang]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If you do business for your own company then use their account - that's why you have it.

If you use that account i.e. also to order a pizza then that isn't a big problem.

But if you use the business email of company A to do business for company B that is a problem.

And depending on the company you work for it's misleading. I.e. if you work for IBM with [email protected] and then you tell another company you are looking for xyz for a company in Germany that is misleading and unprofessional. 

 

It would be best if that German company provides you with an email with their domain name.

And get your own private email account for private things like registering for ThaiVisa and things like that.

 

And like already mentioned above. Your company email account is owned by your company. They can do with that account whatever they want. Delete it, forward it, never let you use it again. I know that because I am one of those IT guys who takes care of those things. 

 

thanks, actually its a good idea to ask them for a email. 

 

 

[problemfarang]

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

Are you sure that the answer was actually from the other company, and not from an admin in your own company? They might monitor your emails.

 

55555 yes, sure

[skatewash]

Get a free protonmail.com.  Save your company email account for company business.  Make life simpler, not more complicated.

[impulse]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And like already mentioned above. Your company email account is owned by your company. They can do with that account whatever they want. Delete it, forward it, never let you use it again. I know that because I am one of those IT guys who takes care of those things. 

 

You forgot to mention "build a case to fire you with cause, so they don't have to pay you any severance as required by Thai regulations". 

 

[Tracyb]

17 hours ago, problemfarang said:

thanks for the info guys,

 

Well, all i did is ask them if they have the product and introduced myself as the representative of that german company. 

 

Im not doing this for business or else. I dont give or do any harm to both sides. 

 

But ok, i will use another account. Thanks

Better safe than sorry!

[scorecard]

17 hours ago, timendres said:

A company email account means that the company "owns" the account. They can access everything in it, and they can shut it down. Using it as a personal account makes no sense. You would have to ask the company for their policy regarding using the account for matters not related to company business. I suspect that would be frowned upon.

 

Every company I've worked for have done random checks on the content of e.mails using the company e.mail nomenclature. And there was good reason to do these random checks, it uncovered many cases of employees engaged in 'subjects' way outside of the company business.

 

Further, all companies' are concerned that if the content is a matter outside of the company business the company could be held complicit - because their name is showing on the e.mail.

 

Why entangle yourself in any of this, have some respect for your employer, use your personal e.mail. 

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, problemfarang said:

 

thanks, actually its a good idea to ask them for a email. 

 

 

Another angle, if your using your employers e.mail nomenclature to make enquiries for another company, the recipient of your mail have wonder why / who is this person, is it a scam / is this person authorized to speak for a company which is not the same company as the e.mail nomenclature?

[Captain Monday]

It is fine as long as you understand you have zero privacy on company email accounts and you completely accountable for all the content and usage time. Is there a problem doing personal emails during work hours? Is there any conflict of interest? What is your companies policy regarding social media?

 

Our employees are subject to any form of monitoring (video, audio, electronic data storage and tracing ) while using company owned hardware or networks, and whilst on company property (except in designated changing rooms and toilets).  The company iPad is administered and monitored via a special APP and only designated whiteboard APPS are downloadable. Personal use is not totally restricted but the employee is responsible, accessing certain content is prohibited, and there is a effort to control malware and fishing attacks. 

[tompelli]

Try to remember that the world is full of e-mail scams. Jared Kushner's bunch of clowns sourcing PPE early on highlighted the futility of using gmail & hotmail addresses to conduct business. Any business, especially on the procurement front needs at least a proper e-mail address. Otherwise you will get IBM.com asking for quotes for wheelbarrows. 

[NCC1701A]

18 hours ago, problemfarang said:

So i sent an email about this from my real work email account.

ask Hillary Clinton. She has a lot of experience with this. 

[KKr]

windup-artist,

time-waster,

if not applicable, either pathetically naïve or forgot to switch on brain where available.

 

 

[Pilotman]

OP, In all the companies I have worked for, a work e mail could not be used for personal use, on pain of disciplinary action. It could open the company to all kinds of fraud, or misrepresentation. 

[AlQaholic]

I wouldn't even contemplate using my work e-mail for anything private, that is just insane.

[Regyai]

With the proliferation of free email accounts and ease of setting them up

 

...this boggles the mind 

[natway09]

If the Company gave you the Email address & you did not open it yourself do NOT use it for your own stuff.

Take 5 minutes & open your own

[Moncul]

You should ask your HR or IT department for their acceptable use policies (if they have them).
 

[problemfarang]

Well i asked to the big boss, he said yes its work email but also its my personal email. We can use it unless it effects somehow my real job.

 

that was the answer i expected tbh. It might be not ethic but its also my personal email too at the end of the day. We dont use it only for emailing among us but for other things too as well. because its a government email. 

 

thanks to all for your ideas and suggestions or advices.. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by problemfarang