Experts differ on this one. But generally, they say, if it's from someone outside the company, delete it. If the problem recurs, have the office systems person block all email from that particular sender. If the message comes from someone within the company, delete it and let the sender know it was inappropriate. If the problem recurs, report it to your supervisor.
Email can end up anywhere.
Businesses say the need to monitor email and other electronic communications stems from the technological and legal realities of the new wired workplace. Email can explode in a company's face if it's abused by workers in ways that create a hostile workplace under state and federal regulations. Apparently, email has become a popular workplace medium for ribald humor. More than 60 percent of respondents in a recent survey said they had received sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate email at work while 14 percent admitted to sending such messages. Lost productivity isn't a leading reason for monitoring electronic communications, but some companies are concerned their workers are spending too much time using computers as toys.