Nairobi, Aug. 11 -- In the modern workplace, a computer or laptop on an employee's desk may be company property, but the boundaries of what the employer can inspect are increasingly being tested in court.

A recent Employment and Labour Relations Court judgment has held that staff who use employer-owned computers or laptops for personal business cannot automatically claim privacy when the machines are inspected for legitimate work purposes.

The court said the employer may inspect its own computer where there is a legitimate business reason, even if the device contains an employee's personal emails, private data or business information.

The decision offers a timely warning to workers who mix personal and professional communications-and t...