Microsoft Office/Teams. Work privacy question.

What does it say about privacy in the IT policy or usage policy that you signed when you joined or the policies that you clicked to agree to on screen?

Always assume that communications using a company system can be monitored. There is almost certainly a statement to this effect in your staff handbook or company information security policy.

If you want to have a properly private chat with somebody, use Signal on ye're personal smartphones.

I think that's where your answer is. This isn't really a technology question. It is a corporate policy question.

Sorry ... I made an assumption you may have been aware of the Signal Messenger app.

It's very similar to WhatsApp and it's end-to-end encryption protocol is the same as the one that WhatsApp uses, but the app doesn't monetise anything about your usage of the service like WhatsApp does.

1) Not private.

2) Can be accessed by admins. (Assuming they have skillset to do it).

As others have said it's more of policy question. What ever that says. If they told you it's not private in advance then it's not.

Personally I'd not use any work system, hardware or infrastructure for anything personal. Or anything you'd not be happy to see on 9 o'clock news.

Why are they even asking you. They can just get it themselves..