Access to computers, E-mail and the Internet has been provided to some employees for the benefit of FictionSoft and its customers. Every employee who uses these systems is responsible for seeing that they are used in a responsible and productive way. The company’s computers, e-mail and Internet access is part of the company’s business equipment and should not be used for personal business, personal gain, or the advancement of personal views. Additionally, employees are to be mindful that all documents created on company equipment, including e-mail messages sent within the company, constitute business records.
Employees do not have privacy rights in any matter created, received, or sent via the company’s equipment. The company reserves the right to monitor and access any message created, received, or sent on our systems, to ensure superior service to our customers and to enforce this policy.
Employees should take special care when downloading large files of any type, downloading executable files, and using Web services that continually send data to our network. These activities have the capability of involving the company in controversial, non-business matters or reflecting poorly on the company, and/or negatively impacting our network and response time, and should be avoided. All access to the Internet is through the company-provided proxy server, which allows the company to monitor bandwidth usage and to log and report on all Internet usage by individuals at the company’s discretion.
The company must know any passwords you use, as your mailbox may need to be accessed in your absence. Your passwords should not be disclosed to unauthorized personnel to protect the security of the system for all users. All messages you create must be transmitted under your name, rather than an assumed name or an obscured name.
Creating, sending, or forwarding messages which are offensive, intimidating, or hostile, on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination from employment. The same prohibition applies to messages that solicit for personal business, religious, political, or other matters unrelated to the company’s business.
The e-mail system may not be used to send, receive, or forward copyrighted materials, trade secrets, proprietary financial information, or other confidential information without proper authorization.
The company will access files for circumstances such as but not limited to:
•Retrieving missing business data in an employee’s absence.
•Investigating possible employee theft or espionage.
•Ensuring that the company’s systems are not used to transmit discriminatory, offensive, or illegal messages.
•Ensuring that illegal software is not installed on any computer assigned to an employee.
•Ensuring that the company’s systems are not used for the benefit of or to develop business unrelated to the company’s business.
While some of these systems may have procedures by which the employee can prevent unauthorized access, the company reserves the right to override these procedures and access the system at any time.
Users should not alter or copy a file belonging to another user without first obtaining permission from the owner of the file. The ability to read, alter, or copy a file belonging to another user does not imply permission to read, alter, or copy that file.
A user’s ability to connect to other systems through the network does not imply a right to connect to those systems unless specifically authorized in writing by the operators of those systems.
Without prior written authorization, the company’s computer system may not be used for storage of commercial or personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions, destructive programs (viruses and/or self-replicating code), political material, outside employment, or any other unauthorized or personal use. You are not allowed to load peer-to-peer or other information sharing software on company systems unless approved by your manager.
Any employee, who becomes aware of misuse of computers, e-mail, or Internet access should promptly notify Human Resources.