Australian insurance giant CGU has hit back at claims that it's using -illegal" and -inappropriate" tactics to monitor employee e-mail use, while more CGU workers enter the debate, voicing their experiences of their employer's alleged online intrusions.

As reported by ZDNet Australia on Friday , internal sources alleged the insurance company had been overly aggressive in its stance towards employee e-mail privacy, blocking professional and non-professional e-mail correspondence.

-In a small number of isolated cases, external e-mail access has been withdrawn from CGU staff who misused it. These staff did not require access to external e-mail to perform their job," responded CGU communications manager, Chris Jackson, in a prepared statement.

-The CGU e-mail and Internet system is primarily provided as a work tool. While CGU does not object to personal use of the e-mail and Internet system, personal use should be limited and not breach company guidelines."

"All CGU staff are required to sign a declaration stating they have read and understood CGU's 'Use of Computing and Network Facilities' policy, which outlines acceptable and unacceptable use of e-mail and Internet access. The policy states: 'CGU reserves the right to limit, restrict or extend access to or check and monitor e-mail facilities'."

Since publication of the original article, several other CGU employees have weighed into the debate.

-Most of my work colleagues take their jobs seriously and as such would not compromise the related polices. There is a saying 'when one person gains a right, another person loses it'. I feel like I have lost the right to work unwatched," a CGU staffer told ZDNet Australia on condition of anonymity.

Another ZDNet Australia reader, who claims to be a current CGU employee and also requested anonymity, said the company appeared to becoming -inwardly focused" in its approach to e-mail scrutiny, and this is affecting business as well as personal e-mail communication.

-Software is being used to monitor all e-mails internally and externally. It is my understanding that a fairly junior [IT] person monitors the e-mails and then releases e-mails which have been quarantined, after you request its release with some explanation. As I have experienced, normal business e-mails are also captured but I don't know what the criteria is."

Seemingly backing up the claim that CGU is tampering with professional e-mail as well as personal correspondence is the source who spoke to ZDNet Australia. They said the insurance company's firm stance on not accepting any attachments - even jpegs and bitmaps, which are widely regarded as non-threatening - has forced many employees to use personal Hotmail accounts for work-related communications. This, the source said, is not only an inconvenience, but it is also having a widespread impact on staff morale.

-To have my e-mail scrutinised by the security administrator is an invasion of my privacy to the extent where it is embarrassing."

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