Hazardous emails
Recently the American Management Association (AMA) and ePolicy Institute conducted a survey and found 80 percent of 526 companies had a formal email policy. There are no longer excuses for errors in emails (from a legal, corporate, or personal perspective). Appropriate Netiquette extends beyond the commonsense basic values contained in its core principals. Netiquette encompasses the privileges that individuals are afforded and entrusted with during employment.
Much like utilizing a desk, kitchenette, or audio-visual equipment at one’s place of employment, the email infrastructure is the property of the employer and is owed respect, consideration, and requisite adherence to both common sense and implicit corporate rules. Netiquette encompasses respect and adherence for the following:
1. Maintaining the company’s reputation
2. Preventing sexual or illegal workplace harassment
3. Defamation, libel
4. Data leakage
5. Compliance violation (HIPPA, etc.)
Topics to avoid
1. Terrorism
2. Committing crimes
3. Sexual explicitness
4. Conspiratorial dialogue:
a. Delete this
b. No one will find out
c. Is this legal
d. What happens if we get caught
e. Or else!
f. Unless this is done, then…
5. Racism
6. Sexism
7. Violence
8. Sedition
9. Extreme hatred or anger
10. Revenge
12. Employment change on business accounts
Emails about anyone’s medical condition (e.g., chemotherapy, CT scan, MRI) should not be written. HIPPA legislation was enacted to ensure that people are protected against having their information exposed electronically.
One should always avoid using one’s company name in a personal blog, as there may be a policy against it.
One should refrain from disclosing details such as financials, pricing ,or technical details about another company outside your organization when a nondisclosure may be in place.
Social invitations, such as a request for a date, are to be avoided on company email. If sexual harassment is ever claimed, there is an electronic record. This can be, arguably, a form of proof.