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Internet and E-mail Acceptable Use Policy -- Revision 6 (02-28-2015)
To ensure that all employees understand their responsibilities, the following guidelines have been established
for using (your name here) (company) e-mail and Internet access. Any improper usage of the Internet or e-mail
jeopardizes the company’s legal standing and therefore cannot be tolerated.
A. Acceptable uses of company e-mail and Internet access
The company provides Internet and e-mail access for business usage. Every staff member has the responsibility to maintain
and enhance the company’s public image and to use company e-mail and access to the Internet in a responsible and
productive manner that reflects well on the company. The company recognizes that there will be occasional personal use on
lunch breaks and during nonworking hours (with approval of management), but this shall not be excessive or unreasonable.
B. Unacceptable uses of company e-mail and Internet access
The company e-mail and Internet access may not be used for transmitting, retrieving, or storage of any communications of a
discriminatory or harassing nature or materials that are obscene or “X-rated.” Harassment of any kind is prohibited. No
messages with derogatory or inflammatory remarks about an individual’s race, age, disability, religion, national origin,
physical attributes, or sexual preference shall be transmitted. No excessively abuse, profane, or offensive language is to be
transmitted through the company’s e-mail or Internet system. The sending or forwarding of chain letters or mass unsolicited
e-mail messages (SPAM) is strictly prohibited. Electronic media may not be used for any purpose that is illegal or against
company policy.
C. Communications
Each employee is responsible for the content of all text, audio, video, or images that he or she places or sends over the
company’s e-mail and Internet system. No e-mail or other electronic communications may be sent that hides the identity of
the sender or represents the sender as someone else. All messages communicated on the company’s e-mail and Internet
system should contain the employee’s name.
Any messages or information sent by an employee to another individual outside the company via an electronic network (e.g.,
e-mail, online service, or Internet) are statements that reflect on the company. While some users include personal
“disclaimers” in electronic messages, there is still a connection to the company, and the statements may legally be tied to the
company. Therefore, the company requires that all communications sent by employees via the company’s e-mail and Internet
system complies with all company policies and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information. E-mails
attachments that contain confidential or protected information such as medical records, credit card numbers, social security
numbers, etc. must be encrypted using WinZip 11 or higher to the AE-1 or AE-2 (AES) standard. All protected information
must be included in an encrypted file attachment and may not be included in plaintext within the e-mail.
Encryption/decryption keys must be shared using a method other than e-mail such as voice or fax.
D. Software
To prevent computer viruses from being transmitted through the company’s e-mail and Internet system, there will be no
unauthorized downloading of any unauthorized software. All software downloaded must be registered to the company.
Unauthorized software is subject to immediate removal without notification. A list of authorized and supported software is
available upon request from the Information Technology Department. The Information Technology Department may take
actions against specific users that violate this policy. Actions may include, but are not limited to, revocation of the user’s
username and password; limiting the users access to computer resources; limiting the users access to configuration options
such as screen savers and other system settings. Employees should contact their supervisor or the Information Technology
Department if they have any questions.
E. Copyright Issues
Employees may not transmit copyrighted materials belonging to entities other than the company using the company’s e-mail
and Internet systems. Note that non-adherence to this policy puts the company in serious legal jeopardy and opens the
company up to significant lawsuits and public embarrassment. All employees obtaining access to other companies’ or
individuals’ materials must respect all copyrights and may not copy, retrieve, modify, or forward copyrighted materials,
except with permission. Failure to observe copyright or license agreements may result in disciplinary action up to and
including termination. If an employee has questions about any of these legal issues, they should contact their supervisor or
the Information Technology Department before proceeding.
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F. Security
The company reserves the right to routinely monitor usage patterns in its e-mail, Internet communications, and file storage
systems (I.e. Common, Home Drives, etc.) The reasons for this monitoring include, but are not limited to, cost analysis,
security, bandwidth allocation, and the general management of the company’s resources. All messages created, sent, or
retrieved over the company’s e-mail and Internet are the property of the company and should be considered public
information. Despite this disclaimer, the company’s intention is to monitor the overall patterns of usage and not the content
of the individual communications.
Notwithstanding previous comments regarding the company’s current intention not to monitor content, the company reserves
the right to access and monitor the content of all messages and files on the company’s e-mail and Internet system at any time,
with or without notice. Employees should not assume electronic communications are totally private and should transmit
highly confidential data in other ways.
Users may not share their account with others. Your user account is for your use only and is granted for the sole purpose of
job performance. Disclosure of your password to others is expressly prohibited. If you feel that someone else may be using
your account, please contact your supervisor or the Information Technology Department immediately. You may be given
special usernames and passwords for the purposed of accessing special resources such as the Internet, vendor websites, and
other controller resources. You may not share or otherwise disclose the username and password for these resources.
G. Confidentiality
The company’s information is one of its most valuable assets. All agents representing the company must safeguard this asset.
All company information including paper, electronic, or any other medium is the property of the company, it’s specifically
designated partners, and it’s affiliates. All employees, contract employees, interns, or other agents of the company having
access to information pertinent to customers, employees, or corporate business of a confidential nature are prohibited from
discussing or revealing such information in an unauthorized manner. Employees may not view customer records unless they
have business related reason for doing so. Any breach of confidentiality represents a failure to meet the professional and
ethical standards expected of all employees. Furthermore, disclosure of customer records without consent may be a violation
of Federal Law. Violation of this agreement may result in disciplinary action including but not limited to immediate
discharge with the potential of criminal or civil prosecution.
H. Violations
Any employee who abuses the privilege of company-facilitated access to e-mail or the Internet, or violates any of the rules
relating to the use of said systems, will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination. If necessary, the
company also reserves the right to advise appropriate legal officials of any illegal violations.
I.
Acceptance
The use of your company issued username and password or e-mail account constitutes your acceptance of these guidelines
and all related company policies.
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E-mail Etiquette Policy - Revision 4 (03-02-2015)
As the use of e-mail has not only replaced paper-based communication but has also become a substitute for
having a conversation, the proper use of e-mail etiquette has become increasingly important. Communication
received in an e-mail does not easily convey the mood and emotions of the communicator. Most messages come
across harsher than what was intended. The following are useful guidelines for communicating by e-mail.
A. Be brief
Your e-mail messages should be concise and to the point. It is helpful to think of your e-mail as a telephone conversation,
except you are typing instead of speaking. You should also make your main point as quickly as possible. Many software
programs used for reading e-mail allow for a preview mode, where only the first couple of sentences are displayed. Many
people receive hundreds of e-mails a day and use this preview mode to determine which e-mails they will read completely.
B. Use the subject line wisely
An accurate subject line is also helpful for determining which e-mails merit closer attention by those who receive large
volumes of e-mail, but be careful not to earn a reputation for over-hyping your message in the subject line; your really
important messages may not get read.
C. Use grammar and punctuation correctly
Poor grammar and punctuation reflect poorly on the sender. Don’t overuse exclamation points in an attempt to emphasize the
importance of what you are saying. If something is important it should be reflected in your text, not in your punctuation.
D. Use special formatting sparingly
Avoid the use of fancy formatting within your message. What might look great using your e-mail client software may look
like gibberish to the e-mail client of the recipient. Stick to commonly available fonts, and realize that the spacing as displayed
by the recipient may be different from that from which the message was sent, especially when displaying columnar data.
E. Abbreviations
Abbreviation usage is quite rampant with e-mail and often leads to confusion, as not everyone may understand the
abbreviations. Avoid using abbreviations that you would not normally use in a paper-based communication.
F. Smiles or emoticons
Smiles or emoticons (emotional icons) are used to compensate for the inability of written communication to express the
emotions, facial expressions, and gestures we would see in a verbal or face-to-face communication. Emoticons can be useful
in avoiding misunderstandings of the writer’s intentions. Most emoticons are designed to resemble what a person’s face
would look like if rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise. The most commonly used emoticon is the smiley face :) or :-), which
resembles a person smiling. Emoticons are typically found at the end of sentences and will usually refer back to the prior
statement. They should be used sparingly, as their meanings are not universal.
G. Salutations
Each situation will be different, but in general, use what you would use in a business letter. As a common courtesy, some sort
of salutation should be included with every e-mail.
H. Signatures
Do not rely on your e-mail address to inform the recipient who sent the e-mail. You should sign your e-mail just as you
would a business letter. Include at minimum your name, and if necessary, include your title, company name, and telephone
number. You may want to also include your e-mail address, because it can sometimes be difficult to locate your e-mail
address within the e-mail. Avoid using quotes or images at the end of your e-mail.
I.
Printing e-mail
Avoid printing a paper copy of e-mails you receive unless absolutely necessary. Our e-mail system allows you to create
folders for storing old e-mails if you need to save a copy. Contact your supervisor or the Information Technology Department
if you have questions.
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J.
Privacy
Remember that e-mails are not private. The company reserves the right to monitor e-mail content to ensure that the e-mail
system is being used for appropriate purposes. Also, no security is 100 percent hacker-proof; someone outside the company
may be able to intercept and read your e-mail. The routing of e-mail is not without errors; someone other than the intended
recipient may receive your e-mail. Do not send anything by e-mail that you would not want publicly displayed.
K. Other Issues
 Remember that all recipients may not read your e-mail immediately. While your e-mail will usually arrive moments
after it is sent, this is not always the case. E-mail is not designed for immediacy; it’s designed for convenience. It is
advisable to not use e-mail for anything that requires an immediate response.
 Avoid using e-mail to deliver bad news. You cannot answer questions when a person reads the e-mail.
 Using all capital letters in an e-mail is the equivalent of SHOUTING.
 If you receive an e-mail that causes you to have a strong negative reaction, avoid responding immediately by e-mail.
Use the telephone to clear up any possible misunderstanding.
 When replying to an e-mail, either leave the old message as part of the new one or clearly reference what you are
responding to. Do not assume the reader will know exactly what you’re talking about.
SAMPLE
Internet and E-mail User Agreement
Employee Agreement:
I have received a copy of the Internet and E-mail Acceptable Use Policy, Revision 6, dated 02/24/2015. I
recognize and understand that the company’s e-mail and Internet systems are to be used only for conducting the
company’s business.
As a user of the company’s computer system, I understand that this Acceptable Use Policy applies to me. I have
read the aforementioned document and agree to follow all policies and procedures that are set forth therein. I
further agree to abide by the standards set in the document for the duration of my employment with the
company. I understand that the company may monitor Internet and e-mail usage to ensure compliance with the
Acceptable Use Policy.
I am aware that violations of this Acceptable Use Policy may subject me to disciplinary action up to and
including termination. I further understand that my communications on the Internet and e-mail reflect the
company worldwide to our competitors, consumers, customers, and suppliers. Furthermore, I understand that
this document and the Acceptable Use Policy can be amended at any time.
_______________________________
Associates Signature
_____________
Date
_____________________________
Associates Printed Name
_______________________________
Associates Office Location
_______________________________
Signature of Manager or Supervisor
For Information Technology Use
Date Processed: _______________________
 Home Directory Created
UserID Issued: ________________________
 E-mail Account Issued
Default Password Assigned: _____________
 User Notified that Account(s) Ready
Processed By: ________________________
Notes: