Question: Nancy Garrity and Joanne Clark worked for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. On their office computers they regularly received sexually explicit e-mails from friends and from Internet joke sites, which they then sent to coworkers. When a fellow employee complained, Hancock searched their e-mail folders and, finding inappropriate e-mails, fi red the two women. The Hancock e-mail policy states: "Messages that are defamatory, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening or racially offensive are prohibited. Company management reserves the right to access all e-mail fi les."
The two employees fi led suit against Hancock, alleging that the company had invaded their privacy. How would you rule as judge?