Comments on: Nurse uses hospital e-mail to sell her ‘knickers’

By: Heather

Heather — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:30:39 +0000

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.

By: eBay Success Kit

eBay Success Kit — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:32:36 +0000

This is really good advice, thanks.

By: Rezla

Rezla — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:35:36 +0000

How is it that the dirty knicks are more expensive than the clean ones? A fetish i guess.

By: Shayla

Shayla — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:09:54 +0000

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.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:04:19 +0000

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.

By: K. Hamm

K. Hamm — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:56:49 +0000

“Hey, it doesn’t say ANYWHERE in the Employee Handbook……. “

By: John

John — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:45:36 +0000

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.

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:22:18 +0000

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.

By: Shayla

Shayla — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:02:35 +0000

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.