Computer, Internet, Email, Telephone & Social Media Policy

Agency Worker Handbook – Computer, Internet, Email, Telephone & Social Media Policy

Purpose

You have a duty to ensure that you are aware of any policy that the Client has in place regarding computer usage and use of email, the Internet, mobile and work phones and to comply with any such policy at all times.

In the event that the client does not have such a policy in place the following policy will apply and you are required to comply with it.

You must not:

Introduce or knowingly or recklessly transmit or distribute any bug, virus or other infection via Client equipment; Corrupt any data held within the Equipment; Tamper with or damage or do any act or thing which may in any way affect the output or performance of the Equipment; Use the Equipment to send, receive, distribute or store any material that is (in the view of Top Job Recruitment or the Client) offensive, abusive, indecent, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic or menacing; Disclose to any other person any confidential information which may be stored on the

Equipment or disclose any password protections to or allow access to your computer by any other person;

Use the Equipment for playing games or any other purpose other than legitimate work of the Client (other than reasonable personal use of e-mail and Internet access as set out below);

Use any software/disks, etc. on the

Equipment other than those owned or leased by the Client which have been purchased new from recognised and reputable suppliers, backed by a confirmation that they are free from viruses or other infections and with a guarantee/indemnity in respect of such confirmation;

Forget to switch your computer off at the end of the day or if you leave your seat for a prolonged period; and

Upload, download, transmit or possess any material with illegal or unacceptable (in the view of Top Job

Recruitment or the Client) content or content of a pornographic or sexually explicit nature; Transmit defamatory, obscene, offensive, racially or sexually harassing, indecent or abusive messages, or any messages that may be construed as such; “Spam”, or send e-mail messages to multiple recipients; Send or participate in chain letters or the spreading of gossip; Use the systems or Equipment for personal gain.

Equipment

The Client’s computer equipment and systems (hardware and software) (“the Equipment”) are a vital part of their business and must only be accessed and operated specifically by those appointed and authorised to do so.

Unauthorised use of the Equipment (which means use by any person other than those specifically authorised), failure to comply with the policy, or in any way tampering with the Equipment will be regarded as gross misconduct and will render the offender liable to termination of assignment and possible criminal prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, even if no damage results. Unauthorised bypass or any attempt to circumvent any security system is prohibited and is a dismissible offence. It is your responsibility to check with the Client that accessing the Internet or sending e-mail is allowed for reasonable personal use when using the Client provided access accounts or the Equipment. The Client’s computer networks and the messages and information stored in or exchanged through them are the property of the Client.

Agency Worker Handbook – Computer, Internet, Email, Telephone & Social Media Policy

Personal telephone calls including mobile phones E-mail and internet use for work purpose

All Client telephones are for business use only. When personal calls are necessary, please ask permission first from the Client. Mobile phones should not be used for personal activities during working hours – other than for work related calls or during breaks/lunchtime.

Personal mobile phones must be kept on silent during the day other than in exceptional circumstances. You may be required by the Client to use e-mail and the Internet regularly for work purposes. This is clearly acceptable when it is fulfilling work duties. However, it is important that you use e-mail and the Internet appropriately. In particular:

No obscene or offensive language should ever be used in e-mails;

E-mails of a discriminatory, derogatory or defamatory nature must never be sent;

E-mail must never be used as a form of communication which could cause harassment or be abusive to someone;

E-mails should not be copied to people inappropriately; If you receive an offensive e-mail this should be reported to the Client immediately on receipt. It should not be passed/forwarded on to other staff members; Internet sites should only be accessed if they are appropriate to the work that is being carried out; E-mail content and language should remain consistent with the organisation’s best practice; E-mail messages should be remain concise and appropriate. If you do use email inappropriately including some of the examples above, your assignment may be terminated. The client organisation reserves the right to access your work e-mail account at any point. This is necessary to ensure that any business issues are addressed in a timely manner.

Internet sites that cannot be accessed

Under NO circumstances can any pornographic or gambling related Internet sites be accessed during working hours or at any time using a computer belonging to the organisation. In addition, social networking sites other than specifically related to a work matter should not be accessed using a computer belonging to the organisation during working hours (with the exception of official breaks) Any other Internet sites that contain offensive, obscene or otherwise unacceptable material must not be accessed using a computer belonging to the organisation, or during working hours.

E-mail use for personal purposes

You should not use the Client work e-mail accounts to send personal e-mails. Workers may only use their work e-mail address for work purposes. They are not to send personal e-mails using this address.

Downloading of material

Viruses and similar problems can bring an entire computer network to a standstill. It is important, therefore, to help protect the Client system you must not download any documents on to a computer belonging to the Client without being confident that it comes from a legitimate source. No software can be downloaded onto a computer belonging to the Client without the express agreement of the Client. If you produce, collect and/or process business-related information in the course of your work, the information remains the property of the Client. This includes such information stored on third-party websites such as web mail service providers and social networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or similar.

Agency Worker Handbook – Computer, Internet, Email, Telephone & Social Media Policy

Social media Passwords

On-line blogs and posting of comments online relating to the client, related companies, its clients, customers, staff or Top Job Recruitment and its clients, staff, other workers and related companies: You must not contribute to on-line blogs during working hours, or using a computer belonging to the organisation, unless authorised so to do by the Client. You must not contribute to any social media site or blog, which criticises the Client or Top Job Recruitment, or otherwise brings either organisation into disrepute, at any time (this includes during personal time). If you are dissatisfied with some aspect of your employment this should be addressed using the grievance procedure enclosed.

You must not reveal any confidential information about the Client or Top Job Recruitment in personal online postings, uploads or transmissions - including financial information and information relating to clients, business plans, policies and/or internal discussions Using any social media site to criticise or damage the reputation of the Client or Top Job Recruitment may result in disciplinary action.

The best advice is not to post anything related to your job, assignment, client, agency or colleagues on social media at anytime. Where required by the Client you must password protect access to the Client’s computers. You must not put in place any process which bypasses the requirement for a password. Passwords must not be stored close to the computer. You must ensure that the Client has a record of your most recent password. This is important to allow your e-mail account to be accessed, if required, during your absence or after your assignment. Passwords must not be disclosed to any other person.

Monitoring

The Client reserves the right to monitor the e-mail and Internet use on any computer that belongs to the Client.

Copyright & subscriptions

Copyright rules apply to articles on the Internet. Hence, care should be taken when using Internet information. If there is any doubt whether material can be used you should ask the Client for specific advice.

The law of copyright protects computer programs on the IT facilities. You must comply with all legal obligations concerning copyright, and must not copy any software or other data without the prior authorisation from the copyright owner.

Action to be taken in the case of inappropriate use

If you are found to have used equipment, e-mail, telephone, mobile phones or the internet in an inappropriate manner or to have had unauthorised access or interfered with any of the Client’s IT facilities it may result in termination of your assignment.