Managing Email as a Record
Whenever email messages are sent or received in the conduct of University business,
they become official records of the University. As records under both The Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act and The Personal Health Information Act, they must be managed to the same degree that paper records are
managed, and may need to be disclosed under access to information legislation.
Email (electronic mail) is the most common form of business communication for the University. In many instances, email
has replaced paper documents, memos, and letters as the primary vehicle for University business transactions and
decisions. As such, email must be managed to support our business activities, and to meet our needs.
The following guidance is intended to inform good practice and procedure in both the appropriate use of email and the
identification and management of email records.
When to Use Email
While email is an accepted form of communication for
University business, there may be instances when the
subject, content, or urgency of a particular issue warrants a
physical letter, a phone call, or a face-to-face meeting.
Before sending an email, consider what you need to
communicate:
 Does it belong in an email?
 Does it contain someone’s personal information?
 Does your communication require a record to be kept?
 Do you need to communicate more than one subject
with this contact?
 Would it be quicker or more effective to communicate
over the phone or in person?
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Avoid mixing personal and University business
Avoid angry or venting emails – use neutral,
professional language and tone
Be as brief and clear as possible – if the content is
likely to be misunderstood, consider a phone
conversation or face-to-face meeting
Avoid ill-advised comments on individuals, and
ensure that you differentiate between fact and opinion
Take care to ensure messages adhere to the Respectful
Work and Learning Environment Policy.
University email may be requested by the public
through an access to information request and may
be subpoenaed by the courts.
IV) Personal or Personal Health Information
Email always creates a record that must be
managed. If a matter does not require a record to be
kept and can be easily settled by other means,
consider another form of communication.
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Email Content
Either avoid altogether, or limit the inclusion of personal
and personal health information to the minimum amount
necessary for an authorized task. Personal health
information should only be shared with authorized
individuals who need that information to carry out their
work.
If the inclusion of personal health information
(PHI) is required, ensure the message is sent only
to the intended recipients and that PHI is
adequately secured. Contact IST regarding
concerns about the security of the information
being sent.
I) Recipients
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To: Include only those that need the information
CC: Include only those that need to know for
informational purposes
BCC: Avoid using the Blind Carbon Copy field
(unless you’re sending a mass email)
II) Subject
V) Attachments and Quoted Text
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Avoid blank or vague subjects such as “students” or
“meeting” – they are not effective identifiers of the content.
A clear subject is essential to finding and identifying
information quickly and effectively, regardless how
sophisticated the search engine is.
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III) Body
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Restrict your content to one subject per email to
effectively file and find messages
To limit clutter within the email system and
uncertainty about document versions, insert a link or
file-path to the document if it is on a shared drive
instead of sending it as an attachment.
Quote only the most recent and relevant portions of
the email. Long email chains and threads often make
finding and producing an email record particularly
difficult.
Do not add or remove recipients in the middle of an
email thread. Consider a new email if the recipient list
needs to be altered.
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Managing Email
I) What does management of email entail?
Managing email includes effective:
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Creation: Knowing when and how to create an email
that may be used as evidence of activity
Classification: Filing email according to logical or
organizational filing systems
Security: Ensuring the protection of information under
your care
Retention: Ensuring records are retained as long as
needed according to pre-determined disposal
schedules
II) Why manage email?
Managing email is essential for:
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Providing evidence for the University’s activities, for
both business interests and accountability
Being able to find a particular record in a timely
fashion
Ensuring compliance with privacy legislation
Effective communication
Efficient use of employee time (composing, searching,
and retrieving email)
Optimal system performance and cost containment
III) Who is responsible for managing email?
IST will assist you with the technical aspects of your
account, but proper content, filing, and disposal is up to
individual employees.
It is best to file messages as soon as possible, while the
subject and content are most fresh in your mind.
As an employee of the University, it is your
responsibility to manage your email account.
IV) How do I file email?
In order to ensure efficient and reliable access for as long
as required for business use, emails should be logically
filed, clearly labeled, and in a location accessible to those
that need it.
 Email correspondence should be filed on the server,
rather than on local drives, to ensure adequate backup
 Emails should be filed to the shared drive (with
appropriate access restrictions) and alongside any
corresponding electronic files. Emails that must be
filed on the shared drive include any:
o Advice or guidance provided
o Approvals of actions or decisions
o Local governance or policy (specific to your
office)
o Essential supporting information for
corresponding paper or electronic files
 Transitory emails (those emails that are not required to
document advice or guidance, and approvals of
actions or decisions, such as drafts or rough
information compiled for a subsequent record) may be
retained locally and destroyed once no longer required
for business use
 Emails should be filed according to records authority
schedules, which ensure appropriate retention times
and disposal actions
If you’re unsure if your area has established filing
systems or if current records authority schedules
are in place, contact your supervisor or the Access
& Privacy Office (ext. 9462) for more information.
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Protecting Information
When handling information that is confidential or sensitive,
employees need to make sure that it is shared only with the
people who are authorized to have it, and only those who
need to know in order to do their jobs.
Before sending email messages, check to make sure the
intended recipients are correct, and that any attachments
included are only those intended.
For more information on email security, contact the IST
Help Desk (ext. 8600), Shared Services (ext. 8400), or the
Access and Privacy Office (ext. 9462).
Quick Tips for Managing Email
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Consider whether an email is ideal for your intended communication
Include clear subject heading, which allows for easy identification of the email content
Maintain a professional tone in your email messages
Keep emails to singular topics, which make them easier to file
Provide links to documents (if possible), rather than sending attachments
Set up folders according to records authority schedules – Records Authority Schedules are available through your unit
records administrator or through the Access and Privacy Office
Routinely dispose of records (according to records authority schedules)
As the sender, you have responsibility for the email – Make sure you save a copy of your outgoing mail in the
appropriate folder
File emails with corresponding paper records together, so that the complete records may be easily accessed
Produced by the Access and Privacy Office, University of Manitoba, 233 Elizabeth Dafoe Library, 204.474.9462 – Issued November 2014