Employee Misconduct at Work: Met Officer Dismissed After Misusing Laptop for Misogynistic Writing

Employee misconduct at work is discussed in a case that highlights the tensions between employer control and employee privacy. Detective Constable Thomas Sewell was dismissed for gross misconduct after misusing his force-issued laptop to write misogynistic, aggressive and sexually explicit materials during work hours and accessing non-work-related content. DC Sewell’s dismissal was confirmed at a Metropolitan Police misconduct hearing in November 2025.

Employee Misconduct at Work: The Met Police Case

During a Metropolitan Police misconduct hearing, it was heard that Sewell had accessed Wikipedia pages with erotic themes and explicit imagery during work hours. He had also composed numerous non-work-related documents. Data reviews revealed 429 personal files, including a 764-page document that had been revised 744 times since its 2019 creation.

The panel heard that Sewell had written a first-person story containing “misogynistic, aggressive and sexual language” during work hours. 

Work Time or Down Time

Sewell explained that he’d used his force-issued laptop to browse non-work-related content and to write personal fiction because he did “not have enough to do.” He was part of a team responsible for training newly recruited detectives. During a period of low recruitment, he experienced significant downtime. Sewell admitted to writing the erotic fiction as a way of coping with a traumatic event that had happened early in his career.  

Rejecting his explanation, the panel responded that it was Sewell’s personal responsibility to request more work. They concluded that Sewell couldn’t have been diligent in his duties while he was engaged in personal writing and browsing. The hearing found that the writing and browsing occurred during working hours, conduct that interfered with the performance of Sewell’s professional duties.

Read More: What is The New Qualifying Period for Unfair Dismissal Protection?

Hearing Chair Commander Katie Lilburn said: 

“The content is deeply offensive in that it is misogynistic as well as erotically explicit…The misogynistic and sexualised comments in the documents is especially abhorrent because they were not just erotic but also specific to policing and misogynistic in a policing context.”

Sewell was dismissed for gross misconduct without notice. 

If you have concerns about personal use of work devices or unreasonable monitoring in your employment contract, contact Redmans Solicitors. Our experienced team of employment specialists is here to help. After an initial chat, we can address your questions and discuss next steps. 

Get in touch, simply: 

• Phone us on 020 3397 3603
• Request a callback by filling in our online form with your details

UK Employment Law Surrounding the Personal Use of Work Devices

There is no single regulation covering the personal use of work devices. Rules are based on the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, employment contracts, and an employer’s acceptable use policy. Employers must also respect workers’ privacy under the Human Rights Act 1998, where relevant. 

Current regulations aim to balance business needs with individual privacy. Guidelines require employers to explain their monitoring policies in contracts and handbooks clearly. They must include reasons for monitoring and whether personal use of work equipment is permitted.

For employers, key considerations include: 

• Defining what is permitted and what is considered to be employee misconduct at work through the use of clear, written rules. 
• Implementing robust security measures to protect business data.
• Ensuring that any monitoring is justified, proportionate, and transparent, and aligned with UK GDPR principles, including lawfulness, fairness, and purpose limitation. 
• Clearly defining security measures and procedures for end-of-employment data removal to manage the risk of data breaches. 
• Ensuring workplace investigations and searches of personal devices are justified, reasonable, and conducted in accordance with strict procedures. 

For employees, they should:

• Understand the applicable policy, from company IT policies to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. 
• Be aware that some monitoring of their personal use on employer devices may lawfully take place if clearly communicated.
• Bear in mind that they can be held responsible for personal use of a work-issued device if it interferes with their duties or breaches workplace policy.

Can You Get Fired For Using a Work Laptop For Personal Use? 

Individuals may be terminated for using a work-issued device for personal use if it violates company policy, jeopardises data security, or constitutes gross negligence. It’s important for individuals to understand which policies apply to their employment contracts and to recognise that they are responsible for their personal use of any work device, particularly during work hours. 

What Constitutes Gross Misconduct

Gross Misconduct is understood as behaviour so serious that it destroys the employment relationship. This is defined as actions or behaviours by an employee that their employer deems sufficiently unprofessional or negligent, usually deliberate or amounting to gross negligence. Employee misconduct at work may result from a single act or a series of acts. 

Read More: Dismissal of Employee for Gross Misconduct Deemed Unfair, According to ET

In cases of gross misconduct, an employer may be entitled to dismiss an individual with immediate effect and without notice. When considering whether conduct is problematic enough to constitute ‘gross’ misconduct, it must be serious and have a grave effect. Gross misconduct examples include serious breaches of conduct such as violence, theft, significant breach of confidentiality, or sustained inappropriate use of work resources, among others.

What Can You Do If Your Employee Rights Have Been Breached 

Employers may be entitled to conduct employee monitoring in the UK through CCTV, email monitoring, and other means. Any such monitoring must respect privacy and process data proportionally under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. 

Employees who feel their employment rights have been breached through unreasonable monitoring or unfair restrictions should: 

• Refer to their employer’s policies and staff handbook to understand their rights. 
• Raise their issue internally through their employer’s grievance procedures if they believe policies have been breached. 
• Seek legal advice and consider options such as ACAS early conciliation or unfair dismissal claims, should internal processes prove insufficient.

Employee Misconduct at Work: Get Help with Redmans

If you have any concerns regarding the personal use of work-issued devices, disciplinary procedures, or employee misconduct at work, please contact us. Redmans Solicitors are experts in the employment sector. Our solicitors would be happy to assess your case, answer your questions, and present potential options for moving forward. Where relevant and eligible, we can also guide you through the legal process to ensure you achieve an optimal outcome. 

To talk to us and find out how we can help, simply: 

• Phone us on 020 3397 3603
• Request a callback by filling out our online form with your details