INTERNET AND EMAIL
Introduction
Please also refer to the E-Safety Policy. The Company’s computer system contains an e-mail facility, which is intended to promote effective communication on matters relating to the Company’s business. The e-mail system should therefore be used for that purpose only. You have no right to privacy when using the Company’s computer system. This means the e-mail system should not be used for spreading gossip or for personal gain or in breach of any of the Company’s standard employment policies on issues such as sexual or racial harassment.
Messages sent on the e-mail system are to be written in accordance with the standards of any other form of written communication and the content and language used in the message must be consistent with best Company practice. Messages should be concise and directed to those individuals with a need to know. General messages to a wide group should only be used where necessary and ALWAYS use the blind carbon copy facility (BCC) to protect customer/client confidentiality.
Confidential information should not be sent externally and in some cases internally, by e-mail without express authority and unless the messages can be lawfully encrypted.
Legal Action Against the Company
Messages sent over the e-mail system can give rise to legal action against the Company. Claims for defamation, breach of confidentiality or contract could arise from a misuse of the system. It is therefore vital for e-mail messages to be treated like any other form of correspondence and where necessary hard copies should be retained. You are also reminded that messages are disclosable in any legal action commenced against the Company relevant to the issues set out in the e-mail.
The Company’s Rights
The Company reserves the right to retrieve the contents of all incoming and outgoing messages for the purpose of monitoring whether the use of the e-mail system is legitimate, when employees are off sick or on holiday, to find lost messages or to retrieve messages lost by computer failure, to assist in the investigations of wrongful acts or to comply with any legal obligation.
The Company reserves the right to monitor email messages sent and/or received and to monitor your usage of the Internet.
Security
If you are given access to the e-mail system you are responsible for the security of your terminal and you must not allow the terminal to be used by an unauthorised person.
Your computer password is an important piece of confidential information and you should treat it that way. Do not share it with others, and make sure that it is not written down anywhere where an unauthorised person can find it. You should therefore keep your personal password confidential and change it regularly. When leaving your terminal unattended or on leaving the office you should ensure you log off the system to prevent unauthorised users using your terminal in your absence.
It is very important that the Company is able to keep its data secure and ensure that computer systems are used only for their proper purpose. All employees are required to comply with instructions that may be issued from time to time regarding the use of Company-owned computers or systems.
You must not attach any device to Company IT equipment without authorisation from the E-Safety Officer.
You must not open attachments or click on links sent by email unless you know you can trust the source. Check the email address carefully; do not open emails from unusual email addresses. If unsure, ask the E-Safety Officer for advice
Company portable IT devices must be kept secure and password protected at all times.
Unauthorised access to any of the Company’s systems will amount to gross misconduct.
General Rules
Should you receive an e-mail message which has been wrongly delivered to your e-mail address you should notify the sender of the message by redirecting the message to that person but NOT in the case of SPAM which should be deleted immediately. In the event the e-mail message contains confidential information you must not disclose or use that confidential information. Should you receive an e-mail which contravenes this policy the e-mail should be brought to the attention of your nursery manager and the E-Safety Officer.
Misuse of the e-mail system in breach of these rules will be treated as misconduct.
Misuse of the e-mail system by transmission of any material in any of the following categories will constitute gross misconduct:
- defamatory;
- offensive or obscene;
- untrue or malicious;
- discriminatory on grounds of race, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religion or religious belief & philosophical beliefs or age;
- the Company’s Confidential Information (as defined in your contract of employment); and
- protected copyright material.
Internet use
If you are given access to the Internet you must use it for legitimate Company business only. Searching for or viewing or downloading web pages the content of which is offensive, obscene or discriminatory will constitute gross misconduct.
Employees with access to the internet on Company-owned devices should use that access responsibly.
Personal use during working hours will be treated as misconduct.
From time to time the Company may block access to sites which it considers inappropriate but whether or not a specific site has been blocked, employees must not use the internet to view or download offensive or sexually explicit material. Any attempt to do so may, depending on the circumstances, amount to gross misconduct leading to dismissal.
You must not download any software, plugins or extensions on to Company-owned devices unless this is first cleared by the E-Safety Officer. You should also refrain from downloading music, video or any other entertainment content on any Company-owned device.
Firewalls and anti-virus software may be used to protect the Company’s systems. These must not be disabled or switched off without express permission from the E-Safety Officer.
Email
All email correspondence should be dealt with in the same professional and diligent manner as any other form of correspondence.
If you have a Company email account you should be mindful of the fact that any email you send will be identifiable as coming from the Company. You should therefore take care not to send anything via email that may reflect badly on the Company. In particular, you must not send content of a sexual, racist or discriminatory nature, junk mail, chain letters, cartoons or jokes from any email address associated with work.
Using a Company/work email address to send inappropriate material, including content of a sexual, racist, discriminatory or harassing nature, is strictly prohibited and may amount to gross misconduct resulting in summary dismissal. Should you receive any offensive or inappropriate content via email you should inform a member of management of this as soon as possible so that they can ensure that it is removed from the system. You should also report such breaches in accordance with our Harassment and Bullying or Grievance policies.
You should also take care that emails will be seen only by the person intended. Particular care should be taken when sending confidential information that the email has been correctly addressed, marked ‘private’ /‘confidential’ and not copied in to those not authorised to see the information. Sending confidential information via email without proper authorisation or without taking sufficient care to ensure that it is properly protected will be treated as misconduct.
Privacy
Monitoring of email and internet usage may take place without notice. You should have no expectation of privacy in respect of personal and business use of email and the internet whilst at work.
Your work email remains the property of the Company and therefore you should not use your work email to send or receive any information that you regard as private. The Company may, in the course of its business, read emails that you have sent or received – although in the absence of evidence of wrongdoing the Company will try to avoid reading personal emails if possible.
Social Media
Any use of social networking websites from Company computers is prohibited. This includes during break times.
No mention of your work place should be made on any public area of social networking websites or any other website over which the Company has no control. Any content or messages publicly displayed on the internet which cause or may cause the public perception of the Company to be damaged or brought into disrepute shall be considered a disciplinary offence.
Your behaviour on any social networking or other internet site must be consistent with the behaviour required of Company employees generally. Where it is possible for users of a social media site to ascertain who you work for, then you should take particular care not to behave in a way which reflects badly on the Company.
The Company expects you to show your colleagues the same respect on social networking sites as you would face to face in the workplace. You must not directly communicate or harass a colleague in relation to an issue of dispute at work.
Such comments are capable of amounting to gross misconduct.
You must avoid making any social media communications that could damage our business interests or reputation, even indirectly. You must not use social media to:
- defame or disparage or make any other inappropriate comment about us, our staff or any customer, client or other third party;
- harass (including sexually harass), bully or unlawfully discriminate against staff, customers, clients or other third parties;
- make false or misleading statements; or
- impersonate colleagues or third parties.
Because social media interactions can be copied and widely disseminated in a way that you may not be able to control, the Company will take a particularly serious view of any misconduct that occurs through the use of social media.
You should make it clear in social media postings, or on your personal profile, that you are speaking on your own behalf. Write in the first person and use a personal email address. Be respectful to others when making any statement on social media and be aware that you are personally responsible for all communications which will be published on the internet for anyone to see.
You must not operate a social media account or profile or express an opinion that purports to be operated/made on behalf of the Company without express permission to do so from your manager. You must not comment on social media about sensitive business-related topics, such as our performance, or do anything to jeopardise our trade secrets, confidential information and intellectual property. You must not include our logos or other trademarks in any social media posting or in your profile on any social media.
You are not permitted to add business contacts made during the course of your employment to personal social networking accounts.
You are not permitted to be “friends” with parents on social media networking sites or communicate with them in that way.
Any misuse of social media that you see should be reported to your nursery manager and the E-Safety Officer.
Breach of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. You may be required to remove any social media content that we consider constitutes a breach of this policy. Failure to comply with such a request may in itself result in disciplinary action.