Can my employer "hear" my SKYPE phone calls

Susan · 2006-07-20T06:31:55+00:00

Can my employer "hear" my SKYPE phone calls?Can SKYPE be my answer to the privacy I desperately need?I have a, shall we just say, long-distance relationship, with a certainsomeone in the company who is far away. Due to time-zone and familymatters, I can ONLY call this certain someone during the day. My phonebills are monitored by a certain domestic someone at home. And, of course,at work, I couldn't use the telephone as it's not business related.What about SKYPE?Can SKYPE be my answer to privacy?I already plugged in a microphone and headphone and I noticed SKYPE callsto my friend show up as a phone number of 000012345 so I can converse withmy friend.But my question is what can my employer "tell" about that connection?Can they "hear" my SKYPE phone calls if they wanted to?Do employers typically "listen" to this type of activity?Please advise me as this is a personal matter all mixed up with work andthe need to remain private.Thank you very much for your adviceSusan

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DevilsPGD 20 years ago

It's 7:43am, I've spent 7 hours working today. I intend on putting in another 4-8 hours before sleeping, and likely another 4-8 after that, depending on when I get to bed and when I get up again.

Again, if that is all you get out of your job, my condolences.

I enjoy my job, the money is just a nice bonus. In fact, I've been doing this job with this company since before I was hired by participating in the company's public mailing lists (performing everything from support to QA duties, although far more informally before I was being financially compensated)

Sure -- But since we need them for business purposes, we've got 'em. Using the excess capacity for non-business purposes doesn't cost anyone any additional money.

So again, what cost do our customers (or does my employer) pay when I make a local call from my office phone on my lunch break, or when I surf the web either during off hours? (And again, we're unmetered -- Our monthly bills are the same whether the lines sit idle, or they are utilized)

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Ivor Jones 20 years ago

[snip]

Stop feeling sorry for me, I keep telling you I don't want or need your sympathy.

While they are not being used for business purposes, they are losing money. A plane sitting on the ground rather than in the air carrying fare-paying passengers is not generating revenue, neither are your lines unless you're using them for work.

Well good for you. But if they're not being utilised for business purposes, they are effectively losing money. Which your customers will end up paying for, one way or another.

Regardless of any of the above, let's get back to the original question, that of privacy of personal communications over business systems. I don't care if your employer gives you free phone calls, internet access or both - if you're using them for personal use at work, you are *not* entitled to privacy on them. If you are using equipment that does not belong to you, then the owner of that equipment is entitled to know what it is being used for, and to know what is being transmitted/received.

Don't like it..? Don't use business equipment for personal use.

Ivor

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DevilsPGD 20 years ago

But unlike a plane, which costs money to carry passengers, our lines are there whether they're begin utilized or not. The costs are the same either way.

In the case of my employer, law doesn't grant me any privacy. Where I live (which is a different jurisdiction), the law does grant me some privacy. Throughout much of the developed world, you have a lot more rights.

*shrugs*

Either to their own.

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Ivor Jones 20 years ago

[snip]

No. The lines cost money to rent. Therefore your company makes less money when they are not being used. So if they are being used for private purposes, they are effectively losing money.

Exactly. And if you remember, the OP was asking if their *employer* could listen in while they were using *work* equipment.

Ivor

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tracy 20 years ago

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