Access to staff home areas.

[L_Smith]

Appolagies if this is the wrong place to post this.

Im after some information about Users Home area's on the network and SLT being able to access them. To cut a long story short, the Head and the Deputy wants access to some people's home area's that are off with stress atm.

Am i allowd to do this or is it some sort of breach of privacy?

[marvin]

Have you got some sort of acceptable use policy in place that members of staff have signed and agreed to?

You need to be careful on this as you are accessing personal files!

[witch]

At the VERY least - get it in writing from the appropriate authority that they have requested access to the files. Then you are at least covered. There are threads here that cover this sort of thing - I can't find them, can anyone else?

[L_Smith]

I did look but couldnt find any. There is only 1 thing i can find in the AUP that relates to this which is

Do not open other people's files without express permission. Do not corrupt, interfere with or destroy any others user's information.

They haven't actually asked me yet but i have said that if they do i would like it in writing that there will be no come back on myself.

[neon]

In our acceptable use policy individuals work spaces are for work related documents only and may be accessed when/if wanted by any SLT deputy or Head... Permissions are already set up for them to access the folders...
I spose you cant really do anything other than get it in writing to cover yourself...

[Grommit]

Appolagies if this is the wrong place to post this.

Im after some information about Users Home area's on the network and SLT being able to access them. To cut a long story short, the Head and the Deputy wants access to some people's home area's that are off with stress atm.

Am i allowd to do this or is it some sort of breach of privacy?

The Head and DH have every right to request you to access the Staff users area as it's the heads Network and there shouldn't be anything private on a work network

[plexer]

The Head and DH have every right to request you to access the Staff users area as it's the heads Network and there shouldn't be anything private on a work network

I can't see how that's true Grommit it certainly is not the Heads network and whilst it can be argues that anything stored on a work network could be classed as being owned by that business it doesn't give the head or other smt carte blanche to view whatever they choose.

Ben

[Grommit]

I can't see how that's true Grommit it certainly is not the Heads network and whilst it can be argues that anything stored on a work network could be classed as being owned by that business it doesn't give the head or other smt carte blanche to view whatever they choose.

Ben

It is the Heads Network as he is the CEO of the School and therefore ultimatly responsible for it..

[elsiegee40]

Here, nobody has access to any staff home drives without the express permission of the HT. If I'm asked to investigate a staff home drive, I ask the HT to put it in writing for me. I've only had to do it twice, at the HT's request on both occasions, and both times she has given me written consent which has been put on file by the office.

It is in the Staff AUP that the HT has the right to investigate, or ask the Network Manager to investigate, the content of personal folders on our network.

If the HT wants to investigate staff home drives, I suggest that you point out that in order to cover themselves that they also put the request on file in writing and that they specify a time period for this investigation. I recommend that you give Read-Only access to as few people as possible for that time period and remove the permissions unless the SMT renew their written consent.

Make sure you don't give any form of editing permissions!

[Disease]

It is the Heads Network as he is the CEO of the School and therefore ultimatly responsible for it..

What if you have school Governors, they ultimately employ the Head so therefore the network is technically theirs. What if the file area was a governor only area?

[L_Smith]

Thank you all for your help. I now know what i need to do in order to rectify this situation.