We all do it. It’s a lazy Wednesday afternoon at work and you’ve finished all your tasks for the day, so to keep boredom at bay you pick up your company issued blackberry and send a rather personal message to your significant other. “Sexting” from work is a common practice for many young professionals. Why not set the mood for some after work fun with some playful sexting?

But the next time you start sexting your sweetie, think twice. Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled that a police chief in California did not violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban against unreasonable searches when he looked through the text messages of Officer Jeff Quon. The chief was concerned that Quon was distracting himself from work by using the company-issued text pager for personal messages, and indeed found a number of sexually explicit texts. In a 9-0 ruling, the court decided that because the chief’s search was an inquiry into work related conduct, it was a “reasonable search.”

Although the ruling does not affect business practices here in Canada, it illustrates a prevalent issue in today’s business world. It used to be that work-issued cell phones, pagers, and computers were used for work-related affairs alone. But in the fast changing atmosphere of social media and mobile apps, and as people are working outside traditional hours more and more, the line between personal and professional is blurred. So what can you expect in regards to your privacy here in Canada? And will you have to stop sexting at work?

According the the Canadian Privacy Law Review released in September 2009, jurisprudence in Canada favours the employer. It reads, “Most labour arbitrators and courts have said that employees have no expectation of privacy in private information recorded on an employers system and have not required employers to justify access to such information as being necessary and legitimate.”

The idea is that employers need to have the ability to make sure their employees are staying on task. Making dinner plans, surfing Facebook, and sexting could all be indicators that you’re goofing off on their dime. But whatever the justification, young professionals should start sexting with caution.

Most of the personal messages you send from your work computer or phone are harmless. Your boss probably doesn’t care about what time you’ll be home tonight or what you thought of the latest episode of Glee. But the next time you start sexting your significant other to give a preview of the evening’s delights, be aware “the man” could be watching.

Photo by ydhsu/Flickr.