If you are using email at work, get a separate account for your personal email:

Often, online users do not realize that email sent from their work accounts is likely to be an open book to their employers. Even if you send an e-mail from your home, a copy is often stored on your employer's main computer server. Your boss has a legal right to read any and all correspondence in this account or on your work computer at any time.

Getting a separate account for personal email allows you to check your personal messages without using your workplace email server. Some private accounts can be configured to enable you to check your personal mail from work without downloading it onto your company computer.