Does Work Really Monitor My E-mails?

Dear Experts, I use my work e-mail to exchange messages with my friends. It helps keep me entertained on those 'long' days at work. Please note none of these friends work at the same company I do. I'm very careful with the content I include in these e-mails but sometimes my friends will say something inappropriate or swear. Can I get in trouble for this? I've heard people say my work probably monitors every message that comes through to me via Outlook. I'd use my personal e-mail account but it's a pain to keep a browser open all day and I don't want to scramble to close the window every time someone walks in my cubicle. Here is how our T.A.P. experts answered this question:Q#344 Work has capacity to monitor e-mails, but no time to look at each one. Keep e-mails clean & limit chatter. (@jtodonnell) Q#344 Ask yourself, is it worth emailing on an open browser in order 2 NOT get fired? They OWN yr work email. (@JoshuaWaldman) Q#344 YES!!!! They can, will & do look. Will look at where U search. UR there to work & enhance UR skill set, not kill time. (@dawnbugni) Q#344 Whether they monitor or not u shld. not b using work email for personal communications. Do that on ur own time. (@DebraWheatman) Q#344 It depends on company policy, but you can get in trouble for this. I would stick to your work during the day. (@gradversity) Q#344 EZ 4 emp'r 2 see how U use internet 4 how long; if u use email a lot it will b noticed, not good 4 U. (@juliaerickson) Q#344 Use personal email account; eliminate the risk. Ur lucky; some companies create firewalls preventing that option. (@ValueIntoWords) Q#344 Use your personal email account from your personal computer or phone (period). Your employer absolut. (@MarySevinsky) Q#344 They might, but not on a per-message basis. Some look for keywords and some don't care. (@beneubanks) Our Twitter Advice Project (T.A.P.) is no longer an active campaign. To find an answer to the above question, please use the "Search" box in the right-hand column of this website.