Can my employer track my personal actions on my work computer?

Absolutely! Most employers have servers that retain any and all information downloaded or accessed on any computer. Whether they will actually access and review that information is another question but they absolutely have the ability to view it should they chose to do so. Also, since the information was downloaded on a work computer, network or server, you, as the employee, no longer have an expectation of privacy in that content. In fact, most employers have an employee handbook that outlines this policy. Accordingly, the employer will be able to view this data without requiring your permission. This means that you are potentially giving the company access to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites as well as an idea of the types of websites you are browsing.As a best practice, you must always be concerned about the impression you are presenting of yourself to you employer. Fun but inappropriate pictures on your Facebook account may cause an employer to question your ability to do a job or decide that you are not a good fit for the team. While these pictures have absolutely nothing to do with your job performance or skill set, they may cast you in a negative light. Accordingly, you should absolutely never access your personal social media sites from work computers. Similarly, be extremely careful about the types of websites you browse while at work as it may give the employer reason to doubt your focus and effective use of work time.Have a question for our employment law firm in Langhorne and Willow Grove PA? Call today!