The short answer is no, your employer cannot see your private LinkedIn messages. LinkedIn’s messaging system is designed to be private and secure, so the contents of your conversations will remain confidential.
LinkedIn’s privacy settings
When you send a message on LinkedIn, by default it is only visible to you and the person you sent it to. Your connections, coworkers, boss, or anyone else will not be able to view or access your private messages.
LinkedIn’s privacy policy states that they will not share personal information like private messages without your consent, except in special cases like complying with legal obligations.
So you can feel comfortable communicating freely over LinkedIn messages without worrying about your employer spying on your conversations. Your messages are meant for your eyes only.
What employers can see
While your private messages are off limits, there are some parts of your LinkedIn activity that your boss can view:
- Your profile information – Employers can see everything that is publicly visible on your profile, like your work history, education, skills, endorsements, etc. Make sure your profile is professional.
- Public posts and comments – If you post updates, articles, or engage in discussions publicly on LinkedIn rather than privately messaging, your employer can view these.
- Connections – Your boss can see who you are connected with on LinkedIn.
- Group activity – If you join industry related groups and engage in discussions, your contributions are visible.
So while your private messages are safe, keep in mind that many of your other interactions on LinkedIn may be viewed by your employer.
When messages could be accessed
In most cases, the contents of your messages will stay private. But there are some rare scenarios where your LinkedIn messages could potentially be accessed by others:
- Legal requests – If law enforcement agencies have valid subpoenas or warrants, LinkedIn may have to provide access to messages relevant to legal investigations or proceedings.
- Employer devices and accounts – If you access LinkedIn through a work computer or device, your employer may have monitoring software or controls allowing them to view usage. Additionally, if you ever allow a boss or coworker access to your LinkedIn account, they could view messages.
- Hacked accounts – There is a small risk of messages being accessed if your account is compromised by hackers. Always use strong passwords!
However, these situations are relatively uncommon. You can feel assured that LinkedIn has strong security measures and encryption in place to keep your private conversations secure in most circumstances.
Best practices for messaging professionally
While your boss won’t be reading your messages, it’s still smart to communicate professionally on LinkedIn. Follow these best practices:
- Be thoughtful about who you connect with – Don’t accept requests from employers or coworkers you want to keep distance from.
- Avoid controversial topics – Stick to professional subjects vs. discussing politics, religion, etc.
- Watch your tone – Don’t say anything you wouldn’t be comfortable with others potentially seeing someday.
- Keep messages relevant – Focus conversations on career and business matters.
- Don’t badmouth employers – Refrain from bashing your company or boss.
Messaging professionally reduces risks if messages ever were to become visible. The more neutral and business-focused your communications, the lower the likelihood of issues arising.
How employers monitor social media
In addition to LinkedIn, employers also commonly review other social media channels to gain insights about staff. According to recent surveys:
- 75% of employers use social media to screen job candidates.
- 70% of employers use social media to monitor current employees.
- 25% of employers have fired someone over a social media post.
Popular channels monitored by employers include:
- Facebook – Posts, photos, comments, friends, and profile info may be reviewed.
- Twitter – Tweets, followers, likes, retweets, and conversations can be seen.
- Instagram – Photos, captions, stories,followers, and hashtags may be viewed.
- Snapchat – Although more private, snaps can still be saved and shared.
- YouTube – Video uploads, comments, subscribers, and watch history can be checked.
To maintain a professional online presence:
- Keep personal accounts private with tight security settings.
- Be mindful of what you post publicly across all networks.
- Maintain consistent brand/identity across accounts.
- Google yourself to see what’s visible publicly online.
What happens if employers access messages
Hopefully you can rest assured knowing your LinkedIn messages are designed to remain private without intervention from your employer. But what would happen if a boss did improperly gain access?
If an employer accessed your private LinkedIn messages or other communications without proper consent, it could qualify as:
- Invasion of privacy – Reviewing private correspondence without permission is a violation of privacy expectations.
- Breach of contract – Accessing confidential systems like work email for unauthorized purposes can breach employment contracts.
- Discrimination – Targeting certain demographics by accessing personal data could enable discriminatory actions.
- Harassment – Using private information to systematically persecute employees creates a harassment case.
These situations open up employers to potential lawsuits and damages. Most companies will be careful to avoid improperly accessing private systems and information to prevent legal risks.
If you ever do suspect foul play, document everything thoroughly. Consult an employment lawyer to discuss your rights and options for next steps in the specific situation.
How to delete LinkedIn messages
To maintain control over your messaging history, LinkedIn allows you to delete individual messages or entire conversations.
Delete individual LinkedIn messages
To delete a specific message you’ve sent or received:
- Open the LinkedIn message thread containing the message.
- Hover over the message and click the trash can icon that appears.
- Confirm you want to delete the message.
The message will be removed from the thread. Other participants will see “This message has been deleted.”
Delete LinkedIn conversations
To delete an entire messaging thread:
- Go to your LinkedIn Messages page and open the conversation.
- Click the “More” icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Delete conversation”.
- Confirm you want to permanently delete the full conversation.
This will completely erase the message history, removing it from both your inbox and any other participants. Use with discretion.
Key takeaways
- LinkedIn’s messaging system is designed to keep conversations private between recipients.
- Employers cannot view the contents of your private LinkedIn messages.
- Other LinkedIn activity like posts, profile info, and connections may be visible.
- Practice common sense when messaging – be professional in tone and topic.
- Monitor your broader social media presence across networks.
- Delete messages periodically to control your history.