Can They Spy On Me?

I'm becoming more and more paranoid. This job I have now where I work from home and VPN into the company server to get email and files from their network - I think they are spying on me. The other day I was unable to logon to a test server successfully and was Instant Messaging one of the people I work with about the problem to see if it was company wide. She automatically invited an IT guy into the chat and before you know it he was in my computer fixing the problem while instant messaging the whole time and I had no idea what was going on.

In my last company you could tell when they were going into your computer because #1 they needed your IP address and #2 the little symbol thingie in the bottom toolbar would change colors.

Not so much with this place. Evidentally they can come in and out as much as they like without you knowing a thing. Like today, after I log off the network and close all my programs down for the day I get this weird message that something isn't letting something on my computer? Hmmm, does that mean someone was trying but didn't realize I was already off the network?

I want to know when they are watching me. Not that I'm not doing my job - but I'm a fast worker. Give me a project that they think takes a week and it takes me a day or maybe two. There are times during the day when I am taking notes and doing research from actual printed documents and not using my computer. Oh, and watching TV or talking on the phone or playing with kitty. Does this mean they think I'm not working. And by the way - who can watch me and who can't? Is it just IT? I'm totally tempted to ask them but you know that won't look good.

So if there are any IT guru's out there that can tell me how I know when they are in my computer I would appreciate it. Wait, that would not be good either because that means the IT guru would know how to get into my computer.

Yes, I may need therapy.