Take steps to prevent workplace e-mail abuse

Staff and News Services

Workplace consultants, analysts and attorneys recommend employers and employees take appropriate steps to protect themselves against lawsuits involving workplace Internet and e-mail use.

Employers:

• All companies should have a written policy in place and make it available to all employees. The policy should be unambiguous and evenly enforced. Without a written policy, the company's position on Internet use is left unresolved and confusion can ensue.

• Companies are encouraged to include the policy in an employee handbook and have employees sign agreements that they have read and understand the policy. The signed agreement can then be kept on file.

Employees:

• Get your company's policy about e-mail and Internet use in writing. In the absence of an explicit policy, and many companies have none, go to your immediate supervisor and seek guidance.

• If the answer is vague, assume the standard to go by is the same one that governs phone use. Most companies don't mind an occasional personal call to help you juggle your life better. Bosses understand this usually helps productivity. So an occasional personal e-mail probably won't raise any hackles as long as it's PG-rated.

• In the event you receive an offensive e-mail, experts generally say if it's from someone outside the company, delete it. If the problem persists, have the office systems person block all e-mail from that particular sender. If the message comes from someone within the company, delete it and let the sender know it was inappropriate. If the problem continues, report it to your supervisor.

• Remember the rule of thumb governing all e-mail: don't ever write one that you wouldn't mind everyone in the room reading. E-mail messages often have a life of their own, and even if the recipient deletes them they usually remain intact on an e-mail server somewhere encoded with information about who sent them and where they were forwarded.