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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    March 01, 1999

    Wisconsin Lawyer March 1999: Some Suggested Terms of an Employer Policy on Email and Internet Use

     


    Vol. 72, No. 3, March 1999

    Some Suggested Terms of an Employer Policy
    on Email and Internet Use

    Policy

    Employer is committed to providing an environment that encourages the use of computers and electronic information as essential tools to support Employer's business. It is the responsibility of each employee to ensure that this technology is used for proper business purposes and in a manner that does not compromise the confidentiality of proprietary or other sensitive information. This policy supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, Employer's policies regarding 'Corporate Communications;' 'Confidentiality;' and 'Use of the Company's Communications Systems.'

    Coverage

    All users of Employer's computer systems.

    [Internal] Email Procedures

    All email correspondence is the property of Employer.

    • Employee email communications are not considered private despite any such designation either by the sender or the recipient.

    • Employer reserves the right to monitor its email system - including an employee's mailbox - at its discretion in the ordinary course of business. Please note that in certain situations, Employer may be compelled to access and disclose messages sent over its email system.

    • The existence of passwords and "message delete" functions do not restrict or eliminate Employer's ability or right to access electronic communications.

    • Employees shall not share an email password, provide email access to an unauthorized user, or access another user's email box without authorization.

    • Offensive, demeaning, or disruptive messages are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, messages that are inconsistent with Employer's policies concerning 'Equal Employment Opportunity,' and 'Sexual Harassment and Other Unlawful Harassment.'
    • Any employee who violates this policy shall be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge.

    Internet Procedures

    • Employer's network, including its connection to the Internet, is to be used for business-related purposes only and not for personal use (or primarily for business-related purposes). Any unauthorized use of the Internet is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized use includes, but is not limited to: connecting, posting, or downloading pornographic material; engaging in computer "hacking" and other related activities; attempting to disable or compromise the security of information contained on Employer's computers (or otherwise using Employer's computers for personal use).

    • Internet messages should be treated as nonconfidential. Anything sent through the Internet passes through a number of different computer systems, all with different levels of security. The confidentiality of messages may be compromised at any point along the way, unless the messages are encrypted.

    • Because postings placed on the Internet may display Employer's address, make certain before posting information on the Internet that the information reflects the standards and policies of Employer. Under no circumstances shall information of a confidential, sensitive, or otherwise proprietary nature be placed on the Internet.

    Excerpted from Dichter and Burkhardt, Electronic Interaction in the Workplace: Monitoring, Retrieving, and Storing Employee Communications.


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