Online
privacy—what are your erights?
If you send an email to a friend while at work and think it's private, you're wrong.
If your company has established an email/Internet policy (ePolicy), they can peruse your email and Internet activity anytime they want. In addition to the fact that you're using company property to begin with, company's cover themselves legally against any infringement on your rights by establishing such a policy. Which means everything you write and receive is privy to employer examination.
With this in mind, keep yourself out of trouble and follow these simple guidelines when communicating via the Web:
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Don't email company information, especially if it's confidential.
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Don't send email that could be considered profane, offensive, libelous, demeaning, discriminatory, inappropriate or unprofessional.
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If it's the company policy, don't send any personal email. If they do allow use of it, don't abuse it. And realize, even if it is allowed, nothing in it is private.
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Avoid sending and receiving jokes in bad taste.
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If you receive an email with an attachment that turns out infectious, report it immediately. Think of the “love bug” virus and don't waste time.
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Keep in mind that just because you delete an email doesn't mean it doesn't exist. A copy of it could reside on your hard drive, or on your company or ISP server.
Remember, if your company has set an ePolicy, respect it because you could be risking your job. If your company has no formal ePolicy, ask them to define what they deem as inappropriate use of email and the Internet. In general, it's safe to make it your own personal policy not to email anything you wouldn't want someone else to read.