An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

Establishing an Effective Company Email Policy: Ten

Guidelines to Consider

Posted on Mar 19, 2018 in Blog Posts by Elizabeth Moon

What would we do without email? It seems as though now,


more than ever, we rely on email for everything – from doing Simply put, an
our jobs to managing our
Call social and family lives. It’s both a
Now Email

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An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

effective email
blessing and curse, though, as many of us might say we face
policy will
email overload on a daily basis. Tackling that inbox is a never-
ending challenge! encourage
positive,
Certainly, the Internet and electronic communication in general
productive
have revolutionized the way we conduct business. Although
communications
these tools make us more efficient, productive, and better
informed, they also create problems that can distract from and while protecting
undermine a company’s mission. That’s why it’s important to a company
have company email policies that enable employees to use from legal
these powerful tools in an appropriate way.
liability,
reputation
Why Do You Need damage, and
security
breaches.
an Effective
Company Email
Policy?
Simply put, an effective email policy will encourage positive,
productive communications while protecting a company from
legal liability, reputation damage, and security breaches.

Like most company policies, rules and expectations should be

tailored to fit the needs of the business and industry in which it

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An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

operates. The following guidelines comprise potential

components of a company email policy, but you will have to
determine what is most important and relevant to your
organization.

1) Emails Are For Business Use

Though it may seem obvious, your policy should be clear that the use of a business email
address is for business only. You may draw a distinct line that any personal use of business
email is strictly prohibited, or your policy could include guidelines on how to handle personal
email because there are times when a personal matter might be discussed on a business email
account. These guidelines could include stipulations, such as limiting the amount of time your
employees can send personal messages and prohibiting the use of business email to sign up for
accounts not related to work.

2) Emails Are Company Property

Along the lines of “business email is for business use,” your policy should make it clear to your
employees that all company email is the company’s property. That is, any email that is sent,
received, created, or stored on a company’s computer system may be viewed and even
admissible in a legal case. As an employer, you have the right to monitor your employees’ use
of email, but it is legally important to ensure they are aware of potential monitoring.

3) Company Network and Security

One of the most important things your email policy should address is security because emails
provide a perfect opportunity for security breaches. Phishing and, more specifically, spear
phishing emails have increased and are common cyberattacks on small businesses. Phishing
refers to emails that appear to come from a legitimate source but are scams designed to steal
private, sensitive information.

Did you know that…

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An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

In 2015, 43% of phishing campaigns were targeted at small businesses (Symantec).

An estimated 91% of cyberattacks start with phishing (PhishMe).

You can see why it is so critical to ensure your employees are aware of security threats through
training and by enforcing smart email protocols as part of your policy. Some simple rules may
include:

Be suspicious of unknown links or requests sent through email or text messages.

Don’t open email attachments from unknown sources, and only open attachments from
known sources after confirming the sender.

Never click on links in emails.

Don’t respond to requests for personal or sensitive information via email, even if the
request appears to be from a trusted source.

Verify the authenticity of requests from companies or individuals by contacting them

directly.

Encrypt any proprietary or sensitive information sent via email.

4) What is NOT Allowed

It’s always worthwhile to be explicit about the types of communications that are prohibited by
company policy, primarily in the interest of heading off bad or illegal behavior and protecting the
company from liability. For example, you may want to specify that emails sent through your
company’s system:

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An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

May not be used to harass or make threats, nor be offensive or disruptive in nature.

May not include language or images related to race, gender, age, sexual orientation,
pornography, religious or political beliefs, national origin, or disability.

5) Receipt of Inappropriate Email

Always encourage your employees to report the receipt of any inappropriate email with
prohibited content to a supervisor or manager. In fact, your company should put a protocol in
place to investigate and address any reports of inappropriate email in a timely manner.

6) Retaining Emails
Your email policy should explain what emails should be retained, where and for how long. Keep
in mind that different industries and businesses may be subject to different regulatory standards.

7) Etiquette
Email etiquette, which entails preferred protocols in communication, is not always included as
part of a formal policy, but businesses may wish to provide guidance to employees related to:

Signature line – You might want to specify the information your employees should
include in their signature line.

Reply all – Limit replies to those who need to know the information being conveyed to
respect others’ time and inbox capacity.

Forwarding – In general, don’t forward emails without permission, or at least to review

the content that will be forwarded to avoid sending sensitive information.

Responding – Employees should respond to emails, both internally and externally,

within a reasonable (or specified) timeframe.

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8) Quality of Work and Life

Technology has dramatically improved how we do business but that same technology can be
consuming. Depending on industry demands and a company’s culture, it may make sense to set
some parameters around email use to limit the intrusion technology can pose, both on personal
lives and productivity. Some policies companies may consider are limiting use of email after
hours or during vacations, limiting use of internal email (to encourage colleagues to talk to each
other), and limiting use of email during certain work hours.

9) Consequences of Noncompliance
Policies aren’t very effective if they can’t be enforced, so there should be a way to ensure
compliance with them. Employees should know the consequences of breaching the email policy,
including any disciplinary action that could result in termination.

10) Awareness of the Policy

To ensure that employees are aware of the company email policy, it needs to be readily
available to them either in the employee handbook, posted on the company intranet, or stored in
a public folder. To further increase their awareness, it’s always helpful to hold training and
discussions about the policy, requiring employees to sign an acknowledgment that they have
read and understood the rules and expectations.

Final Thoughts
As you consider which guidelines you need (or want) to incorporate into your company’s policy,
consult with key stakeholders within your organization, such as the HR department, IT
department, PR experts, legal counsel, and others that should be involved. Make sure your
email policy is succinct, easy to understand, and consistent with other similar company policies.

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An Effective Company Email Policy: 10 Guidelines | Focus Data Solutions

Email is undoubtedly an indispensable business tool to facilitate communication and workplace

efficiency. However, misuse can result in legal trouble, recurring harm, and security breaches.
Crafting a thoughtful email policy that’s tailored to your business can maximize email as a useful
tool and avoid the undesirable consequences of poor judgment by employees. By setting clear
guidelines about email practice – from what is appropriate to what is unacceptable or ill-advised
– your business can gain peace of mind and become a more productive workplace.

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