Home
>
Small Business
>
Employee Email and Internet Use - A Small Business Guide

Employee Email and Internet Use - A Small Business Guide

Introduction

It is widely recognised that Email and the Internet is here to stay! Both mediums have become a vital part of business and personal communication in a world that increasingly relies on technology. We understand its benefits and sometimes berate its downsides; too much email, lack of personal communication, spam, the risk of employees accessing inappropriate material and using employer resources for personal gain.

This gain in technology has not come without cost as increasingly employers and employees are being bought to task over breaches of copyright, confidentiality, privacy, discrimination and harassment and in some instances criminal offences (pornography, obscene and threatening material).

This fact sheet examines ways of measures you can take to greatly reduce and protect your business from legal and other risks.

Recently Monash University reported that email abuse had significantly increased as employees seek to avoid personal confrontation by sending abusive e-mails to those they had targeted or are angry with instead of speaking to them face to face.

This type of behaviour places employers at risk of claims of workplace harassment and discrimination and it is important that you take measures to ensure that this type of activity is clearly communicated as unacceptable to your employees.

By way of example, Biz Momentum undertook a sexual harassment investigation for an employer after an employee complained of sexual harassment by a work colleague. Biz Momentum found that the work colleague had unlawfully accessed 500 different pornographic web-sites over a period of 6 months and at the expense of the employer. The employer took appropriate action.

What should I include in my electronic mail & Internet policy

Biz Momentum recommends that you implement E-mail and Internet policies that includes the following key elements

1. Computer Policies and Procedures

2. E-mail and Internet for Business & Private Use

3. Audit

1. Policies and Procedures

Ensure that you have comprehensive computer policies and procedures relating to defined boundaries that protect you from legal risk for using your E-mail and Internet facilities.

Communicate these policies and procedures to your employees and new starts ? ensure that they sign off on these policies. This cannot be understated in the event of a dispute and is best practice management in protecting your business interests.

2. Email for Business & Private Use

a. Be upfront ? use of E-mail and the Internet is primarily for business use. If you allow reasonable private use, specify when (lunchbreak) and the type of mail employees may compose (electronic banking, child-care arrangements etc)

b. Be specific on what an employee may not access or use E-mail or the Internet for (breach of copyright, spam, masquerading, personal business gain, acts that incite hatred, discrimination to name a few).

3. Audit

Your policies and procedures should inform employees that you conduct regular computer audits in line with the law. This is not an invasive procedure but is designed to protect your business.

No matter what the size of your business, wether you have stand-alone computers or you are networked ensure that your computer logs are audited on a frequent basis.

However a word of caution! Be careful! There are various laws (Privacy Act) that define what you may or may not do when viewing computer logs and this can include not opening and reading employee E-mail or Internet sites. However by viewing the computer logs you can gain a reasonable understanding from where the traffic is directed. In most cases it is obvious if a breach of your policies and procedures has occurred.

You may find other useful small business guides at Biz Momentum (www.biz-momentum.com). You need to treat this information sensitively and take further advice from your practitioner before taking further action.

Ensure you business is protected.

Philip Lye is Managing Director of Biz Momentum providing professional services in employee relations (HR / IR Matters), training your people to work with you and not against you', 'coaching you' to be a better executive and review of commercial documentation, leases and agreements.

Phil holds qualifications in Accounting, Leadership, Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations and is a qualified accountant.

Phil started his working career as the 'postage clerk' in banking and finance rising through various business opportunities to CEO and CFO of two companies before leaving to start his own business in 2002.

For further information

Web: http://www.biz-momentum.com

move in cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.

Third-party security breach at Discord exposes sensitive user information including government IDs, highlighting cybersecurity risks from external service providers.