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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