Corporate Investigative Ethics

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I don't know nothing 'bout legal...

But I'd say that if the laptop was being used during company time, then ethically they have the same right to search it as the company machines, whatever right that might be--I'm assuming that you signed some sort of internet usage policy when you were hired, since almost everyone does nowadays. However, they obviously do not have the right to keep the laptop or destroy any of the data that might or might not be on it.

Actually, no they don't.
If they don't own the property, they can't search it without your permission or a cop with a warrant.
Sure, if you are on their server they can link in, but they cannot physically hook it up and then look.
A company can look in your desk, but if you have a purse, wallet, box or something closed, no they cannot look in it without your permission.
Your property is YOUR property no matter where it is and must be treated that way.
What they did was very illegal and if it were my company I would prosecute so they would not do it to anyone else in the future.
They can do whatever they want with a company PC.
I've been a supervisor/administrator more than once and trained in these laws each time. I did random desk/locker searches and the like and had to know where my boundaries were.