After a “rash of sexting cases,” the FBI issued a confidential internal disciplinary report to its employees to deter future misconduct.
The FBI took this unusual action as a way to get its message out to its employees and teach them about what is appropriate and not appropriate use of FBI BlackBerries, reports CNN.
The federal agency wants its employees to know that sexting is not appropriate for the workplace and that work BlackBerries are for official use only.
In another case, a FBI worker e-mailed a nude photograph of herself to an ex-boyfriend’s wife.
Both these employees received 10-day suspensions. Another employee who used a government-issued BlackBerry to send sexually explicit messages to another employee was suspended for five days, reports CNN.
Regardless of where you work, you can get in trouble for sexting on the job. And if you’re using an employer-provided device, you must be especially careful.
Generally, during working hours, your employer can require that you only perform work-related duties. While many employers give some leeway and allow employees to surf the web or take walks, a line is typically drawn when employees use work time to sext or otherwise engage in sexually-charged activities. So if you’re caught with your pants down at work, you could be fired.
In addition, you could also get in trouble for sexting on an employer-given device regardless of working hours. Your employer may set limits on what you can do with company equipment and if you are caught sending naughty pics on your phone, you could also get terminated.
Related Resources:
- Internal reports show sexting, porn at FBI (New York Post)
- Top 5 Tips to Keep ‘Flirtexting’ Legal (FindLaw’s Law & Daily Life)
- Government Employees, Sexting and Privacy Rights (FindLaw’s Law & Daily Life)
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