Ethical Issues and Email Accounts in the Workplace

[Md. Anikuzzaman]

Many workplaces rely on email to help employees stay connected and to communicate with clients. However, the law regarding email usage is sometimes confusing, and many companies lack a clear policy regarding how employees can and can't use email in the workplace. If companies don't address these issues, they could find themselves in an ethical and legal quandary.

Privacy
Employees sometimes assume their emails are private, but a growing number of employers routinely monitor employee emails sent from company accounts or computers. The U.S. Small Business Administration says federal law is unclear regarding email monitoring, with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 banning the intentional interception of "any wire, oral or electronic communication." However, the act includes a business use clause that allows companies to monitor employee emails. While the laws are open to interpretation, the SBA advises that employers have the right to monitor emails if they're sent from a company computer and if the company can demonstrate a legitimate business reason for doing so.

Representing the Company
When employees use company email, they act as representatives of their employer even if they're sending a casual email to a professional acquaintance. If employees use inappropriate language, it reflects negatively on the company and could drive away prospective customers or tarnish the company's image. Also, if an employee makes statements or promises using company email, the recipient may consider that anything the employee says represents the company's views, and that anything promised is binding.

Personal Use
With people spending so much of their time at work, many employees use their work computers to send or check personal email. However, some companies prohibit personal email use in the workplace, on the basis that it distracts employees or threatens the company's computer systems. For example, using workplace computers to send large files could slow down the company's network. Personal use also increases the risk of computer viruses. Or, employers may not want employees to use company computers to send emails containing objectional language, images or material, or messages with religious, political or other possibly controversial content. Some allow limited personal use, for example only during lunch breaks.

Policies
It's important that companies create policies regarding email use in the workplace, and that those policies outline exactly what's allowed and what's prohibited. If the policy is vague, it may not protect employers. For example, if employers plan to monitor both company and personal emails, the policy should state that even personal, Web-based accounts are subject to scrutiny. If the company allows limited personal use, the policy should state when employees can do so, for example only during breaks and lunch hours. If the policy is vague, employees could successfully challenge it in court.

Source: http://work.chron.com/ethical-issues-email-accounts-workplace-16688.html