Boss Sending Woman Home for Refusing To Let Him Check Her Texts Sparks Fury

An employee has been backed for refusing to let her boss check her mobile.

In a viral Reddit post, u/throwrabossproblem11, explained she had to take an hour off work to bring her three-year-old son to the hospital one morning.

The 26-year-old informed her boss via text, but he was unaware of her whereabouts when she arrived later in the day to the office.

He asked to check her phone to see the text, but she refused. The post has received over 5,700 upvotes and Redditors have called it a "serious invasion of privacy".

Newsweek spoke to a workplace bullying expert Donna Love-Clark who stated "privacy rights were definitely invaded and her integrity was compromised."

The original poster (OP) said "[My boss] told me to hand over my phone so he could check but I refused. I asked him to check his phone but he again denied receiving anything and said there was no point in checking his inbox."

The Electric Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) forbids "unauthorized interception" or access to electronic communications. Employers need your permission before they can monitor texts or phone calls on a personal device.

It is unlawful to use or disclose the contents of any communication obtained in violation of the statute.

The OP stated she refused to hand over her phone as she didn't want her boss to see private messages between herself and her boyfriend.

She wrote: "He refused to let me show him saying 'I might be faking it' but I already have the time and date of the text. He got mad and insisted that I hand it over. I declined and said no, this is my privacy and he does not get to violate it just because he has authority over me. He got more upset and told me to step outside."

The woman told others she waited 30 minutes and then the boss's female assistant attempted to "convince" her to give the boss a "quick look."

"The argument escalated and I was told to go home until this is figured out. My boss is angry with me and his assistant is claiming that it was such a weird hill to die on and that if I truly did send him a message then I should just let him have a look," she wrote.

The OP concluded the post by asking if she was in the wrong. She wrote: "I offered him an alternative way to see the text but he insisted on checking it himself. I'm an extremely private person and the thought of him peeking at private, vulnerable conversations with my boyfriend makes me uncomfortable. My boyfriend thinks I should've just given it to him without making a scene."

Newsweek spoke to Donna Love-Clark who uses the handle @bullyexpert1 on Twitter.

She said: "In this case, the employee's privacy rights were definitely invaded and her integrity was compromised. The employee should document everything, including interactions with the assistant, and then visit HR personally. If termination of job results, run, don't walk, to a reputable attorney's office."

"This whole situation could have been handled in a simple, diplomatic manner. The employer could have asked the employee to screenshot text with a day and time stamp and forward it to his or her assistant."

Throughout the post's comment section, Redditors have echoed the expert's comment.

The top comment has received 10,800 upvotes, it said: "Not the asshole. Holy sh*t what a serious invasion of privacy. You suggested a very reasonable compromise that would give him all the information he needed from you and he refused. He just wanted to pry. This was creepy, inappropriate, and most probably illegal. I would report to HR depending on your area's privacy laws."

"Yeah, talk to a lawyer, go to HR if there is one, the works. This is a giant violation of privacy and the alternatives offered were fair. Stand your ground, OP," another wrote.

Some users have suggested print screening or screen recording the text message using her device to prove her innocence.

Newsweek reached out to u/throwrabossproblem11 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.