by Laura Leigh Fields

Created on: September 07, 2008

Inappropriate emails and behavior on the Internet can get you fired from your job. Of course, it depends on what you have done and where you work. Regardless of the case, you should not put yourself in that situation. You are at work to do work. If you are doing something on the computer that isn't work related then there is no one to blame but you.

I know a nineteen-year-old girl who was recently fired from her job at a fast food restaurant for this exact situation. She got the wild idea that she would take a picture of herself kissing another female employee (who was sixteen) while they were wearing their work uniforms. She then used the work computer to post the photo on My space and emailed the link to everyone she knew, including the boss' daughter.

The odd part of the situation is that she wondered why she had been fired. She thought that since she was on break when she sent the email that it wouldn't matter. Well, it did. Not to mention, all of the other things that were wrong with that situation. I don't know what she was thinking or better yet, why she wasn't thinking.

There is a certain code of ethics that everyone should follow when they are on the job. This is especially true when it comes to using the computer. Business computers are for business. They should not be used for play or personal activities. There are many more important things you should be doing with the company's time.

Emails were originally meant to be used as a quick and convenient way to contact others. You can write a few words and hit send. In a matter of seconds, the person you are contacting has received your queries. Somewhere down the line, emails became more of a hassle than a convenience. Now days, one's email box can become packed full of junk mail, chain letters, newsletters they didn't subscribe to, porn links, jokes, and even viruses. This can often seem like a waste of time (and space) for anyone with an email address.

If you are sending or receiving questionable emails on the computer then you can make yourself and the company look bad. Not everyone has the same taste so you could be running the risk of offending someone also. Emails that are meant to be harmless are often taken the wrong way or can fall into the wrong hands. This only results in trouble all the way around.

It doesn't matter why or when you send out an email from a work computer, if it is something that could later come back to bite you in the butt, you should avoid it at all costs. Even when no one is looking at you, you are likely being watched. Computers can be monitored without you expecting it. It is best to just use your home computer and an email address not related to work on your off time for anything that doesn't fit in your job description.

When you started working at your job, you likely received an employee handbook, learned the code of ethics, or were informed of the rules and regulations. If computer behavior isn't mentioned, that doesn't mean it still isn't looked down upon. When in doubt, ask if it is that important to you. At the same time, though, you should realize that if you were an asset to the company and truly a good employee you wouldn't even be considering doing something ethically questionable in the first place.

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