'Dragon p*rn' | Employee unfairly dismissed after boss read WhatsApp messages about 'steamy' audiobook

A finance administrator was constructively unfairly dismissed after her employer accessed her private WhatsApp messages, including references to a “steamy” audiobook, which were then used during disciplinary proceedings, an employment tribunal has ruled.

The tribunal found Ms K L Coleman resigned from Thermoelectric Conversion Systems in June 2025 following a breakdown in trust and confidence after managers read extensive personal conversations stored on her work computer and refused to allow her chosen trade union companion to participate properly in a disciplinary hearing.

She was awarded a total compensation figure of around £8,000. 

Private WhatsApp messages accessed

The claimant had worked for the company since September 2022. Staff had been asked to download personal WhatsApp accounts onto workplace computers, meaning private conversations were accessible on company devices.