VIC Is Company Breaching My Privacy?

[ToWinds]

For three years, I contracted full time to a company providing IT services, using my own equipment to develop systems. During that time, I used a company email for communication related to their business, and kept a local copy of all correspondence.

Since I finished working for them, they have granted access to that account to a third party. They are demanding that I deliver all previous emails.

My question is:

a) Are they breaching my privacy by giving access to that address to a third party, and

b) Do they have the right to force me to deliver all the old emails? There was no IT policy signed, and I would think generally most people would delete old emails as they go anyway.

Thanks in advance to any responders

 

[Rod]

a) No. Company email is company property. If you want privacy, use your own email account.

b) Yes. They are allowed the return of company property. Do not delete the emails as this is destruction of company property.

If you want, you may be able to charge them for the work you have to do in packaging up and returning the emails.

 

[ToWinds]

Thanks for the response Rod

 

[Sophea]

I agree, anything they provide you with they have rights to including an email address. Anything private or not appropriately should not have been sent via that email address.