Acceptable Use Policy Employee Acceptable Use Policy

E-mail Policies and Procedures

INSTANT MESSAGING

Instant Messaging Policies and Procedures

NETWORK AND INTERNET

Personal Responsibility

Permitted Use and Term

Availability and Access

Content and Communications

Privacy

Downloaded Files

Confidential Information

Prohibited Activities / Prohibited Uses

Compliance

Noncompliance

SOFTWARE USAGE

Software Usage Policies and Procedures

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

Acknowledgement of Receipt and Understanding (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

ELECTRONIC ACCESS POLICY

The Company provides some, if not all, employees with electronic access, consisting of an e-mail system, a network connection, and Internet/Intranet access. This policy governs all use of the Company's network, Internet/Intranet access, and e-mail system at all Company locations and offices. This policy includes, but is not limited to, electronic mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, the Internet, news groups, electronic bulletin boards, the Company's Intranet and all other Company electronic messaging systems.

EMAIL

2. E-MAIL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Company's e-mail system is designed to improve service to our customers, enhance internal communications, and reduce paperwork. Employees using the Company's e-mail system must adhere to the following policies and procedures:

The Company's e-mail system, network, and Internet/Intranet access are intended for business-use only. Employees may access e-mail and the Internet for personal use only during non-working hours, and strictly in compliance with the terms of this policy (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

All information created, sent, or received via the Company's e-mail system, network, Internet, or Intranet, including all e-mail messages and electronic files, is the property of the Company. Employees should have no expectation of privacy regarding this information. The Company reserves the right to access, read, review, monitor, and copy all messages and files on its computer system at any time without notice. When deemed necessary, the Company reserves the right to disclose text or images to law enforcement agencies or other third parties without the employee's consent.

Any message or file sent via e-mail must have the employee's name attached.

Alternate Internet Service Provider connections to the Company's internal network are not permitted unless expressly authorized by the Company and properly protected by a firewall or other appropriate security device(s) and/or software.

Confidential information should not be sent via e-mail unless encrypted by Company approved encryption software and according to established Company procedure in effect at the time of transmittal. This includes the transmission of customer financial information, Social Security numbers, employee health records, or other confidential material.

Employees must provide the System Administrator and/or the Chief Information officer with all passwords.

Only authorized management personnel are permitted to access another person's e-mail without consent.

Employees should exercise sound judgment when distributing messages. Client-related messages should be carefully guarded and protected. Employees must also abide by copyright laws, ethics rules, and other applicable laws.

E-mail messages must contain professional and appropriate language at all times. Employees are prohibited from sending abusive, harassing, intimidating, threatening and discriminatory or otherwise offensive messages via e-mail. Sending abusive, harassing, intimidating, threatening and discriminatory or otherwise offensive messages via e-mail will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

E-mail usage must conform to the Company's harassment and discrimination policies.

Chain messages and executable graphics and/or programs should be deleted. Any employee engaging in the transmission of inappropriate e-mails, as determined by management, will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Misuse and/or abuse of electronic access, including but not limited to, personal use during working hours, copying or downloading copyrighted materials, visiting pornographic sites or sending abusive e-mail messages will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Violation of any of these policies will subject an employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

INSTANT MESSAGING

3. INSTANT MESSAGING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Employees are prohibited from transmitting on or through any instant messaging service any material that is, in the sole discretion of the Company, determined to be unlawful, obscene, threatening, abusive, libelous, or hateful, or deemed to encourage, aid or promote conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any local, state, or national law.

Instant message usage must conform to the Company's harassment and discrimination policies (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

All information created, sent, or received via instant messaging, the Company's network, Internet, or Intranet, including all e-mail messages and electronic files, is the property of the Company. Employees should have no expectation of privacy regarding this information. The Company reserves the right to access, read, review, monitor, and copy all messages and files on its computer system at any time without notice. When deemed necessary, the Company reserves the right to disclose text or images to law enforcement agencies or...

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
By accepting an account password, related information, and accessing the Company's Network or Internet system, an employee agrees to adhere to the Company policies regarding their use. You also agree to report any misuse or policy violation(s) to your supervisor or the Company's Chief Information Officer.

5. PERMITTED USE AND TERM

Use of the Network and the Internet is a privilege, not a right. Use of Network and Internet access extends throughout an employee's term of employment, providing the employee does not violate the Company's policies regarding Network, Internet or Intranet use.

6. AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS

The Company reserves the right to suspend access at any time, without notice, technical reasons, possible policy violations, security or other concerns.

7. CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Company at its sole discretion will determine what materials, files, information, software, communications, and other content and/or activity will be permitted or prohibited.

8. PRIVACY

The Company reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store at any time, without prior notice, any and all usage of the Network and the Internet, as well as any and all materials, files, information, software, communications, and other content transmitted, received or stored in connection with this usage. All such information, content, and files are the property of eth Company. An employee should have no expectation of privacy regarding them.

9. DOWNLOADED FILES

Files are not to be downloaded from the Internet without the prior authorization of management. Any files authorized for download from the Internet must be scanned with virus detection software before being opened. Employees are reminded that information obtained from the Internet is not always reliable and should be verified for accuracy before use.

10. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Employees may have access to confidential information about the Company, other employees and clients. With the approval of management, employees may use e-mail to communicate confidential information internally to those with a need to know. For purposes of this policy, confidential information includes, but is not limited to:

Procedures for computer access and passwords of the Company's clients and customers.

Lists of present clients and customers and the names of individuals at each client or customer location with whom the Company deals.

Prospect lists for actual or potential clients and customers of the Company and contact persons at such actual and potential clients and customers

Any other information relating to the Company's research, development, inventions, purchasing, engineering, marketing, merchandising, and selling (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

11. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

Employees are prohibited from using the Company's e-mail system, network, or Internet/Intranet access for the following activities:

Printing or distributing copyrighted materials. This includes, but is not limited to, software, articles and graphics protected by copyright.

Sending, printing or otherwise disseminating the Company's proprietary data, or any other information deemed confidential by the Company, to unauthorized persons.

Operating a business, soliciting money for personal gain or otherwise engaging in commercial activity outside the scope of employment

Searching for outside employment.

Making offensive or harassing statements based on race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, ancestry, disability, age, sex, or sexual orientation.

Sending or forwarding messages containing defamatory, obscene, offensive, or harassing statements.

Sending ethnic, sexual-preference or gender-related slurs and/or jokes via e-mail.

Sending or soliciting sexually oriented messages or images.

Attempting to access or visit sites featuring pornography, terrorism, espionage, theft, or drugs.

Gambling or engaging in any other criminal activity in violation of local, state, or federal law.

Engaging in unethical activities or content

Participating in activities, including the preparation or dissemination of content which could damage the Company's professional image, reputation and/or financial stability.

Using another employee's password or impersonating another person while communicating or accessing the Network or Internet (Spectorsoft, 2005, pp. 3-8).

12. COMPLIANCE

Though each individual is responsible for his/her own actions, management personnel are responsible for ensuring employee compliance with Company policy.

Any employee aware of a policy violation should immediately report the violation to their supervisor, the Company's Chief Information Officer and/or the Human Resource manager.

Employees who violate this policy and/or use the Company's e-mail system, network, Internet, or Intranet access for improper purposes will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

13. NONCOMPLIANCE

Violations of these policies will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

14. ELECTRONIC ACCESS

I hereby certify that I have read and fully understand the contents of the Electronic Access Policy. Furthermore, I have been given the opportunity to discuss any information contained therein or any concerns that I may have. I understand that my employment and my continued employment is based in part upon my willingness to abide by and follow the Company's policies, rules, regulations and procedures. I acknowledge that the Company reserves the right to modify or amend its…