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e-mail policy
E-Mail Policies for the Workplace
Consider establishing an e-mail policy to ensure that your employees are using your e-mail for work-related purposes and that they understand potential legal ramifications.
If you use e-mail at your business, consider adopting an e-mail policy. Establishing clear and comprehensive rules helps employees understand that e-mail should be used only for appropriate business purposes.
If you're on the fence about setting up an e-mail policy, consider the information in Should You Be Monitoring Your Employees' E-Mail and Internet Access?
Employees often consider e-mail informal, and may include comments that could come back to haunt the company. An employee might not think twice about sending a dirty joke to a coworker or using inappropriate language that may offend another employee.
Your e-mail policy should cover certain basic tenets:
- E-mail should be professional and courteous.
- E-mail must not contain any illegal, libelous, or offensive statements.
- All statements meant to harass - sexually or otherwise - are prohibited.
- E-mail is for business purposes, not for personal use.
- All e-mail is company property.
- The company has the right to access e-mail sent to or from every computer.
- The company has the right to retrieve e-mail stored on its servers that users have deleted from their e-mail programs.
- Employees who violate the e-mail policy will be subject to disciplinary measures or termination.
Check out the sample E-Mail Policy on AllBusiness.
Find additional employment law information and tips on OSHA regulations at AllBusiness.com.
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