Caution Employees to Guard Their Own Privacy, Too

In the age of IM, gossip and rumors that once were quietly discussed around the watercooler can be sent around the globe in an instant. As part of your employee education efforts, suggest that workers protect themselves, their families, and friends by strictly separating their business and personal lives. When it comes to IM, it’s best to keep your secrets secret and your personal business personal.

Real Life E-Disaster Story:
The E-Love Note Read Around the World

A twenty-something woman in England sent her boyfriend an e-love note complimenting his romantic performance (and recounting her own) the night before. The woman’s message was so graphic and flattering that her lawyer-boyfriend decided to forward it to a halfdozen male friends employed by London-based law firms and banks. His friends—all employed by international firms—in turn forwarded the saucy e-mail message to their friends and colleagues around the globe.

That very personal e-mail message ended up traveling to ten million computer screens in London, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States. An international media sensation followed, with the New York Times, NBC’s Today show, and other media outlets around the world covering the story. The relentless London tabloids, intent on pursuing the embarrassed e-mail writer, eventually drove the mortified woman into hiding. ^[3]

A cautionary tale for anyone who uses IM or e-mail to communicate. Keep your personal life offline, or risk reading about yourself in tomorrow’s news.

Sample Privacy Statement

Instant messages, e-mail, and other electronic records created, stored, transmitted, or received using Company resources (including but not limited to IM software, e-mail servers, and computers) are primarily for business purposes.

The Company reserves the right to monitor the content of any record, nonrecord, document, instant message, or e-mail message created, stored, transmitted, or received using Company computers.

Employees should not expect any right to privacy when it comes to instant messages, e-mail messages, records, or nonrecords.

Employees are prohibited from using Company computers, information systems, instant messaging software and systems (including but not limited to personal IM software downloaded from the Internet), e-mail systems, land-based or wireless networks, Internet connections, or other Company-owned or provided systems or devices for downloading information from or sending information to IM buddies, e-mail accounts, text-messaging services, or other communication services other than those provided by the Company. ^[4]

^[3]T. Shawn Taylor, ‘‘E-Lessons,’’ Chicago Tribune (February 14, 2001).

^[4]Adapted from Nancy Flynn and Randolph Kahn, Esq., E-Mail Rules, New York, AMACOM, 2003.