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Implement an E-Mail Policy and Improve
Productivity
If you’re worried your employees
are spending too much time sending personal emails at work, or worse,
that they are using your company’s email and Internet facilities to
distribute obscene or defamatory material, there’s something you can do
about it. Implement an electronic communication policy.
An effective email and Internet
policy can help cut down the time employees spend surfing the ’Net and
sending messages to their nearest and dearest. More than that, a good
policy can also help protect you should one of your employees ever come
under legal scrutiny for distributing inappropriate material.
Business Purposes Only?
The first step in any electronic communication policy is to establish
employees’ obligations and responsibilities when using email or the
’Net.
From the policy’s outset, explain that the use of company email and
Internet facilities is primarily for business purposes. It’s also normal
to include words to the effect that any information sent electronically
must not contain inappropriate material, including sexually explicit,
defamatory or racist images and messages.
Many companies specify that sending personal emails or accessing the
Internet for personal reasons is against the policy, but in reality this
is very difficult to police. It’s also naïve to think employees will
never use email for personal reasons – especially when the boss is fond
of the odd email joke, as is often the case).
On the other hand, companies need to curb personal emails; some studies
show personal email use as high as 60 percent of all email
communication. Instead of including a blanket ban on all personal
emails, why not recognize in the policy that a limited number of
personal emails can be sent on the company IT system before or after
normal business hours.
It’s also worth seeking feedback on a draft version of the policy from
staff. This will help them take ownership of the policy, and doesn’t
position the company as Big Brother.
Discipline
Although the policy can include some leniency over personal email use,
other rules need to be explained in black and white.
It’s important to spell out that sending confidential information is
against company policy, and that appropriate disciplinary action will be
taken if staff are found distributing classified or restricted data.
Inserting a paragraph to the effect that theft of intellectual property
is considered a criminal offence could also be considered. Also explain
that the company has the right to access all emails sent and received on
the company’s IT system.
An acknowledgement that disciplinary action will be taken against those
who contravene the policy is usually a standard part of an electronic
communication policy. Make sure you explain to new and existing staff
that adherence to the policy is a condition of employment. This means
that those found in breach of the policy can be issued with an official
warning, with the ultimate punishment dismissal. Criminal offences –
such as perpetrating fraud using email or the Internet – can be
prosecuted, and this should also be explained to employees in the
policy.
Using the ’Net
Apart from stipulating that the Internet is to be used mainly for
company purposes, it’s also important to communicate to staff that the
’Net isn’t to be used for personal gain. This means no share trading and
no gambling at work.
Some organizations authorize the use of company Internet and email for
study purposes as long as it’s related to work. If this is something
with which your company is comfortable, make sure you explain this
clearly in the policy so that staff know where they stand.
Allowing your staff to download freeware or shareware from the Internet
poses quite serious risks to the security of your IT system, so make
sure your policy prohibits the use of unauthorized software. It’s also
worth investigating filtering packages that can scan emails for
executable and zip files, or any type of file normally associated with
downloadable software. If your web browser runs through a proxy server,
this can also be configured to strip out these types of files.
There are many books available to give you further guidance on your
policy. Try E-policy by Michael Overly or Email@work by
Jonathon Whelan, both available on Amazon.com. It’s also advisable to
contact your legal counsel to ensure your policy is within the bounds of
the law.
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