A “HEAVY-handed” investigation into “improper” emails allegedly circulated by Bournemouth council employees has left staff morale at rock-bottom.

That’s the claim by union officials and staff who were stunned by the decision to send around 20 workers home on full pay while the matter was investigated.

It’s believed that all the staff affected – who include social workers and occupational therapists – will be back at work today.

But Dave Higgins, the council’s Unison union representative, said the damage had already been done.

“Staff morale has plummeted,” he said. “This has not been a good episode for the council. We feel they’ve made a bit of a blunder in dealing with it in the way they have.

“We feel they have been too heavy-handed. As a union we believe fully in equality and diversity but we also believe in giving people second chances and, if people have made a mistake, giving people a chance to correct it. This just seems over-the-top. The fact that there were so many people affected shows that many people were not aware of what the guidelines are.

“The way they have acted has been extremely upsetting and has caused problems, not only for staff, but also for the public.”

The Daily Echo has also been contacted by relatives and friends of those affected.

One told how his wife was on the verge of a nervous breakdown after being marched out of the office as if she were a criminal.

She was then allowed to return to work for a few days before being told she was being put on “management leave” again.

But Cllr John Beesley, deputy leader of the council, said he was totally supportive of the approach taken by council managers.

“There’s a lot more to this than has come out,” he said. “Any large organisation has email protocols and if something is happening it can’t just be ignored.”

ONE click of a computer mouse. That’s all it takes to put your job, your livelihood and your future at risk.

Essex teenager Kimberley Swann found that out the hard way after she made a few throwaway remarks on her Facebook page.

She saw nothing wrong in describing her new job as “boring” but her bosses at Ivell Marketing and Logistics took a different view and the 16-year-old was instantly dismissed.

A week or so later, and around 20 Bournemouth council employees are marched out of their offices and told to stay at home while their computer records are searched.

Their alleged crimes? Circulating “offensive” emails, including a joke and explicit picture about Viagra. Further investigation into some workers’ email accounts found other messages deemed pornographic or racist.

It may have started as a joke, but for the employees caught up in the row, it was no laughing matter.

Lesley Walford, head of the employment department at Ellis Jones solicitors, said all employers need to have an email and internet policy in place and make sure staff are aware of them.

“That way everybody knows where they stand and there are no nasty surprises,” she said.

“Employers also have to be consistent in managing the situation. I think some employers take a laissez-faire approach to such matters, probably because they are too busy running their businesses, until a problem arises and they go into reactive mode instead of being proactive.”

She says employers need to be aware that staff have a private life, and she strongly warns against “Googling” prospective employees, but says, for their part, employees should not breach their boss’ trust by posting defamatory comments on Facebook.

“The relationship between employer and employee is a two-way street and there needs to be trust and loyalty on both sides,” she said.

“It’s a fine line between what’s harmless fun and what’s actually disrespectful.”

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, echoed her view. He said: “Simply cracking down on use of new web tools like Facebook is not a sensible solution to a problem which is only going to get bigger.

“Better to invest a little time in working out sensible conduct guidelines, so that there don’t need to be any nasty surprises for staff or employers.”