Does anyone have suggestions on how to word language in an employee manual regarding company rights to email?

Ted Monohon VP -Finance / Controller • March 14, 2013

...reserves the right to inspect all Company property including computer or phone data or messages to ensure compliance with its rules and regulations, without notice to the employee and at any time, not necessarily in the employee's presence. Prior authorization must be obtained before any Company property may be removed from the premises.

Company voice mail and/or electronic mail (e-mail) including texting, pagers and mobile email are to be used for business purposes. reserves the right to monitor voice mail messages, and e-mail messages, and texts to ensure compliance with this rule, without notice to the employee and at any time, not necessarily in the employee's presence.

Please check with your particular state employment laws. This however, is okay in California.

Christie Jahn CFO • March 14, 2013

This is what ours says:

"Company computers, phone systems, fax machines, demo cellular phones, and email systems are company property. Personal use of company property is prohibited. This includes and is not limited to downloading any software, using chat rooms for personal use, using newsgroups, using the Internet for personal use, and using email for personal use".

"COMPANY reserves the right to access and monitor the faxes, phones calls, internet traffic, and email system from time to time without notice. Associates acknowledge that the faxes, phones calls, internet traffic, and email system is not considered private and by using the system, associates consent to the company’s access to it. To facilitate access, managers must restrict associate passwords or other security devices".

Katherine Simmonds Agent • March 15, 2013

Just state that all these communications, personal, business, external or internal belong to the company and there are no rights to privacy in the workplace.

That is what my new employer does. Its very clear, no guessing, everyone understands.

Julia Hubbard Business operations & Finance, Student Affairs • March 15, 2013

This is my employeers section on the subject; 7.00 Privacy and Security

There is no inherent right to privacy for information stored on CSUMB information technology resources, except as provided by the Privacy Act of 1974. Federal law permits system administrator access to stored electronic communications if that access is necessary for the rendition of service. Random monitoring of electronic communications by CSUMB is not conducted unless required to do so by law (e.g., subpoena or court order). The rest of the "Acceptable Use of Computing and Information Technology Resources" policy can be found here http://policy.csumb.edu/acceptable-use-computing-and-information-technology-resources You may find parts of this useful, each University writes their own policy so other CSU's have some different writing. Due to the Freedom of Information Act we have Executive Orders to retain email for a certain period of time and deleting an email never permanently removes it from possible administrative review.
Although this section sounds like your email is mostly private, but that's how they make it sound not so bad "Specific issues for interpretation and administration of this policy are given in the Addendum for Interpretation and Administration of the Acceptable Use of Computing and Information Technology Resources Policy. This addendum contains definitions, specific examples of offenses, and procedures for dealing with incidents." In my opinion the best policy writing team is at CSU Long Beach. I often go to their policy page when giving input on revisions.
If your a small company this might be way more than is needed, I personally like the previous suggestions here, but it depends on the industry and the state laws you must take into consideration.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to word language in an employee manual regarding company rights to email?

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