I recently heard that an employee, let's call him Employee A, was let go from a company. I got a call from Employee B who mentioned they took Employee A's company iPhone. It's clear that the employer has access to the texts, emails, and call logs since they own the phone. Employee B hinted that I should consider all phone conversations I've had with Employee A as potentially recorded by the employer. Legality aside, can an employer really secretly record every phone call made from a company-issued iPhone?
4 Answers
Honestly, don't expect any privacy on anything that's company property. If it’s a work phone, the company can technically access all of it without you even knowing.
Are you looking for legal advice? Technically, yes, they could record calls without telling you. But whether that’s legal depends on your location; I’d suggest checking with a legal forum for that. Just keep in mind, it’s definitely within their capability to do it.
As far as privacy goes, employees shouldn't assume they have any on devices belonging to the company. They can do what they want with their devices, even with personal usage on them. Just steer clear of sensitive stuff on the work phone, like banking or personal emails.
Sure, they could technically record everything, but does that mean they actually do? In my experience with small businesses, I’ve rarely seen them monitor calls unless there’s a specific complaint. Most employers prefer to trust their employees rather than spy on them.
> Sure, they could technically record everything.
Yeah, I think it’s more about what’s feasible versus what actually happens. Most companies aren’t that invested in checking up on every call the way we think they might be.