May my employer read my work email?
Only with works council consent, prior handbook notice, proportional, and on concrete suspicion. Private correspondence remains protected (Bărbulescu).
Work-email access is layered regulation — GDPR + Dutch Works Council Act + ECHR Art. 8. Four requirements: (1) Works council consent (WOR Art. 27(1)(k)) for monitoring policy. (2) Prior handbook notice + employment contract. (3) Proportionality: least intrusive means. No "just in case". (4) Concrete suspicion (data theft, sabotage, fraud) or specific purpose (audit, legal request). Bărbulescu protection (ECHR 2017): even work-email correspondence = right to private life (ECHR Art. 8). Employer must clarify upfront which private content is monitored — no "we may do anything". What MAY? Metadata (sent/received timestamps, recipients) on specific suspicion. Auto-out-of-office on sick leave. Access to vacated mailbox after departure. What is NOT? Content of private correspondence without suspicion. Continuous surveillance. Personal messages in work email. During IT audit: pseudonymisation required — not "Jan's mailbox". On termination based on mail content without basis: cantonal judge — Bărbulescu precedent makes termination annullable.
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