Nurse uses hospital e-mail to sell her ‘knickers’
November 3, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: Employees do the strangest things, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, That's how they do it in ______
A British nurse is in trouble with her hospital for using her work e-mail to sell things on eBay. What’s even worse is what she was selling:
Her underwear.
Derriford Hospital in Plymouth found out about Sheena McMillan’s side business when its e-mail monitoring program picked up one headlined “Naughty Knicks,” according to The Sun. Knicks is short for “knickers,” the British term for panties.
Potential buyers had a choice: 20 pounds ($32) for clean underwear and 23 pounds ($37) for dirty.
A spokeswoman for the Nursing and Midwifery Council said the messages were clearly inappropriate because buyers would have realized the knickers were being sold by a registered nurse. McMillan could be barred from hospital premises.
McMillan argues whatever she did has nothing to do with her ability to be a nurse.
What do you think? Let us know in the Comments Box below.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
McMillan is right that what she did had nothing to do with her ability to be a nurse, however, it is not appropiate to use your work email for your own personal business (i.e your side job). I think that it is totally disgusting that a nurse would sell dirty underwear especially in a society where we have so many diseases and germs. Nevertheless, what she does outside of her job is her own business but when she decided to use company property (her work email) she made it their business.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I don’t believe you can rely solely on an employee’s ability to meet the requirements of the job when you are filling a position. You must hire responsible people with sound judgement and character. Your employees represent the company. The nurse was out of line to use the company email address to promote her “naughty knickers”. This sort of behavior brings negative publicity to the hospital. Further, employees should not use company property for outside personal gains, even if they are just selling girl scout cookies. The hospital was right to bar the nurse.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
The hospital was right mainly for the reasons stated by Dana. It is true that many cases have been adjudacated for privacy away from the job. However when an employee’s action brings into question the employer’s good judgement and reputation then the employer can take action. Though the nurse may have a right to conduct her affairs in such a manner, she does not enjoy a legal protection from repercussions for such activity. Using the work computer not-with-standing, the hospital was right.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
“Hey, it doesn’t say ANYWHERE in the Employee Handbook……. “
November 7th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Simply said, the employee did not at all use good judgement in using her business e-mail to sell ANYTHING on the internet. And considering what she was selling, it proves she has even worse judgement. I don’t think this plays any part in her ability to perform her job, but she obviously wasn’t thinking when she did it.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I don’t think that it needs to say it in the handbook. A nurse selling knickers on ebay using her work email is not appropiate. Like everyone has already said, the hospital was right in terminating her employment. It would be the same thing if an employee stole from their employer, it might not say in the handbook “don’t steal”, but if you do, the company will terminate you. I am sure that the handbook says something like you should conduct yourself in an appropiate matter or even says something like email is to be used for hospital business only. If it does, then they were within their rights to let her go.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
How is it that the dirty knicks are more expensive than the clean ones? A fetish i guess.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
This is really good advice, thanks.
March 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Yeah, common sense tells you don’t use your business email for personal stuff unless you are fine with possibly everyone in the company knowing. Let alone for THIS? Ick.