I checked my contract - it says nothing in there in terms of internet and email usage. There is not one section devoted to it - it doesnt even mention it. Does that help me?

Hi everyone Thanks for replying - the information is really useful. Im not looking for a fight, I just want to know that this is over and wether it was done the right way. I have worked there for 1year 9months. I need to find my contract about internet usage - I cant remember. Should I have received a written warning first? To explain that I was using the internet too much and then given a chance to make sure I didnt? I received no verbal warning about anything, I just got called into the room to discuss what went wrong with the project and I told them how I felt it went wrong. I made mistakes and I admitted that but they werent down to internet usage. Can you sack without giving someone a written warning and a chance to improve? Im going to CAB tomorrow to make sure everything is okay and understand where it is I stand. I fully accept I made some mistakes, but given the set up of the company I feel that those mistakes could have been avoided by better management. I accept that by making those mistakes I contributed to them losing a client but I wasnt the only issue in the process, printers let them down and client signed off the whole project before noticing that something wasnt right. I have a baby on the way in 7 weeks and im so scared and frightened right now - I just need to know that this is the end to a very awful 6 months at work and that they cant turn around and start claiming for things. I just dont know how it works as this has never happened to me before.

So they could still basically say that I made a mistake and that I resigned due to internet abuse. So either way im not going to get a good reference... It my own fault, just a shame that the 1yr 6months that I did well and everything they wanted has been ruined by me being stupid. Just frustrated..........

Hi everyone I made a mistake on a design job a few weeks back, I didnt do some amends or rather I didnt do all the amends I should have. The account manager didnt do their job, the client signed the job off as okay, it went to print. The printer messed up and it all went horribly wrong. I panicked and messed up the job, I admitted that and I admitted my role in the job but didnt accept all of it. They gave me a hard time and after already being overworked and underappreicated I began to not care and look for other work. Little did I know that since that day they have been recording all my time on computer and therefore all my personal email and internet usage. I did use the internet when I shouldn't have and I accept the blame for that. They saw that I had an interview and also a possible offer of a job. I was basically hauled in on Friday and eventually told what they had been doing and showed me evidence of this (which I knew of) and basically offered 2 choices, that they would file gross misconduct charges which would stay on my record or for me to resign - so I obviously resigned. Left my card and key and walked away. Was any of the way they went about this unfair? I fully take responsibility for the internet abuse (I looked at personal email, jobs, film and motorsport sites) I understand why I had to go in their eyes. Im not chasing compensation etc etc What I am worried is what effect it has on my future job / potential job offer. They won't want to give me a good reference, but are they allowed to give me a bad one? Where do I go from here? They say that my internet use affected my job and ability to do it properly, that my productivity was down and that I wasn't doing my job properly. I know my productivity wasnt down and I know that it wasnt affecting my job, what was affecting it if anything, was their conduct and general affect on morale. It not excuses or reasons - im just stating. I know I did wrong, I was disillusioned and was trying to rectify that by getting another job. Obviously im just concerned that this is the end and there is going to be no other suprises or they arent going to take more action against me, I dont know if anyone can help answer that for me or at least give me a guide. I need to learn from my mistakes and reflect on what happened and make sure that never happens again and im taking steps to make sure that it doesnt. Any advice or help would be most appreciated. Thanks