Can my employer read emails in my Gmail account?

I work for a large company and use the Gmail set up for my account. As a senior manager, I have many confidential conversations internally and externally via email.

I have found out that one of the tech guys accesses employee’s emails when requested to carry out checks by the CEO. Do they have the right to do this? I think it creates a feeling of mistrust and insecurity. Can I lock my account so only I can access it? Martin

Historically, the assumption has always been that companies own and can access mail used for company business. When I was a manager, I dictated letters to a secretary who typed them and filed copies. I never reached a level where these filing cabinets were locked and inaccessible, but they contained nothing of personal interest.

Email has blurred the lines between corporate and private uses. People usually type their own emails, and even business emails tend to be informal. Convenience plus the illusion of privacy has led more people to use company email addresses for personal emails.

None the less, emails do sometimes lead to contract disputes and lawsuits, and email records can be subpoenaed by courts. They are part of the audit trail for many negotiations, and as a matter of principle, companies should back them up and archive them.

It’s therefore better to avoid using corporate email addresses for personal emails – or, indeed, anything you don’t want archived.

For more read the full of article at The Guardian