This is a policy a company can use that sets forth employee privacy rights in connection
with the use of company technology. This policy addresses company telephone usage,
cell phone usage, computer usage, blogging and use of social media. In addition, this
policy provides that the company reserves the right to inspect company property at any
time for any reason. This policy can be used by small businesses or other entities that
want to establish a privacy policy for their employees.
Statement of Employee Privacy Policy
Telephone and Computer Policy
Confidential or proprietary information regarding the Company and its clients must never be sent
on external online systems since they may not be secure systems. Online e-mail messages and
cell phone communications are subject to interception by outsiders and may be received by other
than the intended recipient. In addition, employees must ensure that internal messages meant
only for Company employees are not sent to outsiders.
Employees are responsible for setting up their message systems (i.e. voice mail and e-mail) with
appropriate passwords to prevent others from assuming their identity. Under no circumstances
should employees give out their username or password unless expressly authorized to do so by
the local system administrator or client manager, regardless of the claimed credentials of the
requestor. Employees should always ensure that their system is not left on and available to
unauthorized individuals. Employees should take appropriate steps to “lock” their system when
they are not at their desk or actively using their cell phone.
Employees are forbidden from using a false name in voice mail, e-mail and facsimile or other
similar communications and may not permit any other person, other than a designated assistant,
from using their identification codes or passwords.
Please do not consider your electronic communication, storage or access to be private if it is
created or stored at work or on any Company device. Conversations held on Company
telephones or private cell phones used on Company property should not be considered to be
private. Employees do not have privacy rights in the messages sent or received on the e-mail or
voice mail systems. Employees should expect that authorized supervisors or local system
administrators might access messages with or without the permission of the employee.
However, no other employees may monitor or access e-mail messages of another user except as
otherwise permitted by a supervisor.
Company Telephones
Company employees may receive or make personal telephone calls during break periods only. If
a telephone call is received during a non-break time, and the call is not an emergency, callers
will be asked to leave a message. Please inform your family and friends of this Company policy
and request that they keep these telephone calls to a minimum during work hours. In the
instance of a legitimate emergency telephone call during work hours, we will immediately
attempt to locate that employee to receive the call. Phones provided at work stations are to be
used to conduct Company business only. Optional language if applicable: The employee
telephones in the break rooms are available to make outgoing, local, personal calls during
break times.
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Cell Phone
This policy about cellular phone usage applies to any device that makes or receives phone calls,
leaves messages, sends text messages, surfs the Internet, or downloads and allows for the reading
of and responding to email whether the device is company-supplied or personally owned. All
such devices shall be referred to as “cell phones” for purposes of this handbook.
Use of Company Owned Cell Phones
An employee who is provided a company-supplied cell phone or a company-supplied vehicle is
prohibited from using any cell phone, whether same is hands on or hands off, or similar device
while driving, for any reason and in any manner. This prohibition includes but is not limited to
receiving or placing calls, text messages, surfing the Internet, reading or responding to email,
checking messages, or any other purpose. Therefore, you are required to stop your vehicle in a
safe location so that you can safely use your cell phone. Use of company-owned devices for
personal business is discouraged. [Comment: Company may revise this as applicable, as
some companies do not mind if company devices are used for personal use.]
Use of Personal Cell Phones
Personal cell phones are permitted to be to receive or make personal phone calls during break
times. Employees are encouraged to leave cell phones at their desk turned to vibrate mode. In
the event the employee’s personal cell phone is also used for Company uses, same may be used
in standard ring mode at any and all times during the business day. However, Company policy
with respect to use of a personal cell phone while driving is the same for that of any company-
owned cell phone.
Computer Policy
Voice mail, email, and Internet usage assigned to an employee's computer or telephone
extensions are solely for the purpose of conducting Company business. Some job
responsibilities at the Company require access to the Internet and the use of certain suites of
software. Only those authorized personnel may use the Internet or access additional software.
Any necessary software shall be installed by the IT department. If you need access to software
talk with your supervisor and consult with the IT department prior to any attempt to access same.
[Instruction: If Company policy is other than as above, please revise as necessary.] No type
of file, software or otherwise, may be downloaded from the Internet without proper consent from
the IT department. It should never be assumed that the installed virus software will prevent the
infection of a machine if a downloaded file contains a virus. Restricted methods of download
include but are not limited to web browsers, ftp clients and instant messaging clients.
No employee shall ever knowingly or willingly release a virus, malware, spyware or other
unauthorized file onto a network under any circumstances. This includes but is not limited to
viruses, worms, trojan programs, network monitors and sniffers, password cracking software,
license generation software and file sharing software. Forbidden distribution methods include
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but are not limited to file sharing, e-mail, network server distribution, instant messaging clients
and ftp servers.
Internet Usage
Internet use is authorized to conduct Company business only, and only by authorized personnel.
Under no circumstances may Company computers or other electronic equipment be used to
obtain, view, or reach any pornographic, or otherwise immoral, unethical, or non-business-
related Internet sites.
Email
Email is authorized to conduct for Company business only, and only by authorized personnel.
Any Email sent or stored on Company equipment is considered Company property. Employees
may forward, save or print and retain any emails for any non-legitimate business purpose, nor
may the contents of any such emails be shared with any person or entity outside of the Company
except as necessary to conduct Company business, or as otherwise required by law.
Management and other authorized staff have the right to access any material in your email or on
your computer at any time.
Any type of message that contains the following content is expressly prohibited:
A. Content that may constitute sexual harassment or be considered discriminatory, obscene,
derogatory or excessively personal, whether intended to be serious or humorous
B. Chain letters
C. Illegal activity
D. Harassment
E. Exchanging sensitive information related to possible or actual litigation
F. Personal commercial activities
G. Promotion of political or religious positions or actions
H. Solicitation of any type, except for company-sanctioned activities
I. Virus or security hoaxes
J. Any emails that discriminate against employees by virtue of any protected classification
including race, gender, nationality, religion, and so forth
Use of Social Media and Blogging
Unless required as a function of your position within the Company, you may not engage in
reviewing, commenting or otherwise participating in the use of personal social media sites,
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including but not limited to, Facebook, while on Company time or while conducting Company
business. Note that these policies and guidelines apply only to work-related sites and issues
and are not meant to infringe upon your personal interaction or commentary online. If you
are developing a Web site or writing a blog that will mention your company and/or our current
and potential products, employees, partners, customers, and competitors, identify that you are an
employee of your company and that the views expressed on the blog or Web site are yours alone
and do not represent the views of the Company. You may not at any time state any confidential
or proprietary information regarding the Company or its business. Unless given permission by
your manager, you are not authorized to speak on behalf of the Company, or to represent that
you do so. You may not use the Company logo, trademarks and/or other intellectual property
without explicit permission in writing from the Company. You may not sell any product or
service that would compete with any Company products or services without permission in
writing from the president.
Property Inspection
The Company reserves the right at any time to conduct inspections of packages, lockers,
company-owned automobiles, desks, work spaces and any company-owned property, to the
extent permitted by law. Employees are advised that they should not have any expectation of
any privacy right in any such property. The Company reserves the right, to the extent permitted
by applicable law, to conduct inspections of employees, employee’s personal automobiles
whether used for Company business or not and employee personal property located on Company
property. Employees are further advised that they should not have any expectation of any
privacy right in any personal mail delivered to employee on Company property.
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guidance and should be modified by you or your attorney to meet your specific needs and the laws of your state or jurisdiction. Use at
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relationship. The information, reports, and forms are not a substitute for the advice of your own attorney. The law is a personal matter
and no general information or forms or like the kind Docstoc provides can always correctly