IT AND ELECTRONIC INFORMATION POLICY
Policy Statement
Our electronic communications systems and equipment are intended to promote effective
communication and working practices within our organisation, and are critical to the
success of our business. This policy outlines the standards we require users of these
systems to observe, the circumstances in which we will monitor use of these systems and
the action we will take in respect of breaches of these standards.
Who is covered by the policy?
Access to and usage of servers is restricted to Robinson Services Ltd employees,
temporary workers, consultants who use Company computers and other IT equipment as
part of their work and the IT support service provider as nominated by the Company.
This policy covers all individuals working at all levels, including Directors, senior
managers, managers, employees, consultants, contractors, trainees, part-time and fixedterm employees, temporary, casual and agency workers (for the purposes of this policy
collectively referred to as employees). Third parties who have access to our electronic
communication systems and equipment are also required to comply with this policy.
The scope and purpose of this policy
This policy deals mainly with the use (and misuse) of computer equipment, e-mail, the
internet, telephones and other mobile devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and
voicemail, but it applies equally to the use of fax machines, copiers, scanners, CCTV,
and electronic key fobs and cards.
All employees are expected to comply with this policy at all times to protect our electronic
communications systems and equipment from unauthorised access and harm. Where
evidence of misuse is found we may undertake a more detailed investigation in
accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure, involving the examination and disclosure of
monitoring records to those nominated to undertake the investigation and any witnesses
or managers involved in the Disciplinary Procedure. If necessary such information may
be handed to the police in connection with a criminal investigation.
Personnel responsible for the implementation of this policy
The Senior Management Team has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this
policy, but has delegated day-to-day responsibility for its operation to the heads of
department/division.
All managers have a specific responsibility to operate within the boundaries of this policy,
ensure that all employees understand the standards of behaviour expected of them and
to take action when behaviour falls below its requirements.
All employees are responsible for the success of this policy and should ensure that they
take the time to read and understand it. Any misuse of our electronic communications
systems or equipment should be reported to the HR department. Questions regarding
the content or application of this policy should be directed to the HR department.
Responsibility for monitoring and reviewing the operation of this policy and making any
recommendations for change to minimise risks to our operations lies with the HR
department in conjunction with the IT support service provider. This policy will be
reviewed and updated as required. This policy does not form part of any employee’s
contract of employment and it may be amended at any time.
Legislation and misuse
All employees are advised that some forms of misuse of IT systems are illegal.
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 sets out several offences in the workplace, some
examples of which are outlined below and which serve as an indication only:
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Misuse of information, that is, the use of information derived from a computer system for
a purpose other than that for which it was intended.
Hacking (seeking to gain access known to be unauthorised to any programme or data
held on computer).
Aggravated Hacking (gaining access to Company files to cause the system to fail).
Unauthorised modification of data (corrupting data).
The unauthorised duplication of software is a breach of copyright and is therefore also an
offence.
It should be noted that the confidentiality clause referred to in the Contract of
Employment and/or Employee Handbook applies (but not exclusively) to the use of IT
Systems and their associated media, whether privately owned or provided by Robinson
Services Ltd.
A non-exhaustive list of qualifying media includes email, websites, social networks, web
logs (blogs), chat-rooms and forums and applies to any new media not yet in existence.
As a responsible user of licensed software, Robinson Services Ltd will not permit or
tolerate the making or use of unauthorised software copies within the organisation under
any circumstances. Any breach of this policy will be dealt with via the Company’s
Disciplinary Procedure.
Monitoring
The contents of our IT resources and communications systems are our property.
Therefore, employees should have no expectation of privacy in any message, files, data,
document, facsimile, telephone conversation, social media post conversation or
message, or any other kind of information or communications transmitted to, received or
printed from, or stored or recorded on our electronic information and communications
systems.
We reserve the right to monitor, intercept and review, without further notice, employee
activities using our IT resources and communications systems, including but not limited to
social media postings and activities. This might include, without limitation, the monitoring,
interception, accessing, recording, disclosing, inspecting, reviewing, retrieving and
printing of transactions, messages, communications, postings, log-ins, recordings and
other uses of the systems as well as keystroke capturing and other network monitoring
technologies.
We may store copies of such data or communications for a period of time after they are
created, and may delete such copies from time to time without notice.
In addition, emails and voicemails may be checked in your absence from work therefore
do not use our IT resources and communications systems for any matter that you wish to
be kept private or confidential from the company.
The purpose of such monitoring is to:
• ensure the effective operation of Robinson Services Ltd’s electronic communications
systems and to maintain system security;
• investigate and detect unauthorised use of the systems in breach of Robinson Services
Ltd policies, such as excessive personal use or distribution of inappropriate material;
• monitor employees’ standards of performance;
• check whether matters need to be dealt with in your absence;
• investigate allegations of misconduct, breach of contract, a criminal offence or fraud by
the user or a third party; and
• pursue any other legitimate reason relating to the operation of the business.
This list is not exhaustive.
Systems and data security
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Employees should not delete, destroy or modify existing systems, programs, information
or data which could have the effect of harming our business or exposing it to risk.
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Employees should avoid downloading or installing software from external sources and if
in doubt should consult with the Financial Controller in advance.
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No device or equipment should be attached to our systems, other than for business use,
without the prior approval of the Financial Controller.
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We monitor all e-mails passing through our system for viruses and content. Employees
should exercise caution when opening e-mails from unknown external sources or where,
for any reason, an e-mail appears suspicious. The Financial Controller should be
informed immediately if a suspected virus is received. We reserve the right to block
access to attachments to e-mails for the purpose of effective use of the system and for
compliance with this policy. We also reserve the right not to transmit any e-mail message.
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Employees should not attempt to gain access to restricted areas of the network, or to any
password-protected information, unless specifically authorised.
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Employees using laptops or wi-fi enabled equipment must be particularly vigilant about its
use outside the office and take any precautions required by the Financial Controller from
time to time against importing viruses or compromising the security of the system. The
system contains information which is confidential to our business and/or which is subject
to data protection legislation. Such information must be treated with extreme care and in
accordance with our Data Protection provisions.
Equipment Security and Passwords
Employees are responsible for the security of the equipment allocated to or used by
them, and must not allow it to be used by anyone other than in accordance with this
policy.
If given access to the e-mail system or to the internet, employees are responsible for the
security of their terminals. If leaving a terminal unattended or on leaving the office they
should ensure that they lock their terminal or log off to prevent unauthorised users
accessing the system in their absence. Employees without authorisation should only be
allowed to use terminals under supervision.
Desktop PCs and cabling for telephones or computer equipment should not be moved or
tampered with without first consulting the Financial Controller.
Employees who have been issued with a laptop, Tablet, PDA ,Blackberry (or other mobile
devices) must ensure that it is kept secure at all times, especially when travelling.
Employees should also be aware that when using equipment away from the workplace,
documents may be read by third parties, for example, passengers on public transport.
Passwords
Company passwords allow individual users access to domain resources. Passwords
must not be divulged to any persons either inside or outside the Company (with the
exception of Lead personnel where appropriate for problem resolution).
Passwords must be used to secure access to data kept on mobile devises to ensure that
confidential data is protected in the event of loss or theft.
For security reasons, passwords should be as obscure as possible, with mixed numbers
and letters, upper and lower case.
Users are responsible for data entered under their password and should log off at the end
of each session.
For the avoidance of doubt, on the termination of employment (for any reason)
employees must provide details of their passwords to their manager and return any
equipment, key fobs or cards.
Email
E-mail is a vital business tool, but an informal means of communication, and should be
used with great care and discipline.
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Employees should always consider if e-mail is the appropriate means for a particular
communication and correspondence sent by e-mail should be written as professionally as
a letter or fax.
Messages should be concise and directed only to relevant individuals.
The Robinson Service’s name must be included in the signature carried with every
message sent. This reflects on the company’s image and reputation. Therefore, e-mail
messages must be appropriate and professional. Set out below is the standard company
signature that must be used on all external e-mails;
Regards,
Employee Full Name
Job Title/Division
t: 02894 429717 f: 028 9446 3336
Mob No: If Applicable
Email: employee e-mail address
Check out our new website: www.robinson-services.com
Follow us on
https://twitter.com/robinsonservfm
https://www.facebook.com/Robinsonservicesltd
http://tinyurl.com/njljx3f
(This e-mail is confidential. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the
intended recipient you are not authorised to and must not disclose, copy, distribute or
retain all or part of this e-mail without our authority. If you have received this e-mail in
error then please contact us immediately on 02894 429717).
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Email facilities are to be used for business-related purposes only.
Email privacy is not guaranteed and should not be used for formal or legally binding
correspondence.
Email systems must not be used for political, business or commercial purposes not
related to Robinson Services Ltd and must not be used to send illegal or inappropriate
material.
Messages sent over the email system can give rise to legal action against the Company.
Claims of offence, breach of confidentiality or breach of contract could arise from the
misuse of the email system.
Employees should not send abusive, obscene, discriminatory, racist, harassing,
derogatory or defamatory e-mails. Anyone who feels that they have been harassed or
bullied, or are offended by material received from a colleague via e-mail should inform
their line manager OR the Human Resources Department.
Employees should take care with the content of e-mail messages, as incorrect or
improper statements can give rise to claims for discrimination, harassment, defamation,
breach of confidentiality or breach of contract.
Employees should assume that e-mail messages may be read by others and not include
anything which would offend or embarrass any reader, or themselves, if it found its way
into the public domain.
E-mail messages may be disclosed in legal proceedings in the same way as paper
documents. All e-mail messages should be treated as potentially retrievable, either from
the main server or using specialist software.
Viewing pornography, or sending pornographic jokes or stories via email, is considered
sexual harassment and will be addressed according to our sexual harassment policy.
E-mail messages can carry computer viruses which are particularly dangerous to the
Company’s computer operations generally
Great care should also be taken when attaching documents as the ease with which
employees can download files from the Internet or “cut and paste” materials from
electronic sources increases the risks of infringement of the rights of others particularly
the intellectual property and other proprietary rights. Also attaching documents may give
rise to the release of information not intended, hence, the importance of vetting
attachments. If in doubt please consult your manager.
Do not subscribe to electronic services or other contracts on behalf of Robinson Services
unless you have express authority to do so. Authority for subscriptions including
electronic subscriptions such as these, rest with your manager. You have no authority to
enter into any binding commitment on behalf of Robinson Services via the e-mail or the
Internet.
Any important or potentially contentious communication that you have received through
e-mail should be printed and a hard copy kept (e.g. confirmation of an order etc.). Where
important, you should obtain confirmation that the recipient has received your e-mail.
Information received from a customer should not be released to another customer without
prior consent of the original sender. If in doubt consult your Manager.
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Robinson Services reserves the right to review, audit, intercept, access and disclose all
messages created, received or sent over the electronic mail system for any purpose. All
computer pass codes must be provided to your manager. No pass codes may be used
that is unknown to the company.
Notwithstanding the company’s rights to retrieve and read any electronic mail messages,
such messages should be treated as confidential by other employees and accessed only
by the intended recipient. Employees are not authorised to retrieve or read any e-mail
messages that are not sent to them. Any exception to this policy must receive prior
approval from the employer. However, the confidentiality of any message should not be
assumed. Even when a message is erased it is still possible to retrieve and read the
message. If any breach of our e-mail policy is observed then disciplinary action up to and
including dismissal may be taken.
As a general rule, employees should avoid:
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sending or forwarding private e-mails at work which they would not want a third party to
read;
sending or forwarding chain mail, junk mail, cartoons, jokes or gossip;
contributing to system congestion by sending trivial messages or unnecessarily copying
or forwarding e-mails to those who do not have a real need to receive them;
selling or advertising using our communication systems or broadcast messages about
lost property; the message board public folder should be used for these purposes;
agreeing to terms, enter into contractual commitments or make representations by e-mail
unless appropriate authority has been obtained. A name typed at the end of an e-mail is
a signature in the same way as a name written at the end of a letter;
downloading or e-mailing text, music and other content on the internet subject to
copyright protection, unless it is clear that the owner of such works allows this;
sending messages from another worker’s computer or under an assumed name unless
specifically authorised; or
sending confidential messages via e-mail or the internet, or by other means of external
communication which are known not to be secure.
Employees who receive a wrongly-delivered e-mail should return it to the sender. If the email contains confidential information or inappropriate material (as described above) it
should not be disclosed or used in any way.
As a condition of employment, employees consent to the examination of the use and
content of all email processed and/or stored by the employee on Robinson Services Ltd
systems as required.
All the Robinson Services e-mail addresses (including those directed to persons within
the organisation) are Robinson Services Ltd’s property both during and after the
termination of that person’s employment with the organisation.
Security Considerations
Email is a potential source of computer viruses which can impersonate or ‘spoof’ known
senders’ email addresses, therefore emails received from both known and unknown
sources should be treated with caution. You should not open or run any attachment from
an unknown source.
If you have doubts about an email from a known source, contact the sender to make sure
the mail is legitimate.
Email Space
Mail should be periodically deleted to keep space within reasonable limits (individual
attachments may be deleted from emails, leaving the message itself intact).
New data storage and backups
All information/data held on Robinson Services Ltd systems is deemed the property of
Robinson Services Ltd.
As a condition of employment, employees consent to the examination of the use and
content of all data/information processed and/or stored by the employee on Robinson
Services Ltd systems as required.
Data Storage
Data should be periodically archived or deleted to keep space within reasonable limits.
Backups
Data backups of all data stored on network drives are undertaken daily. Data stored
locally on users’ PCs and laptops (e.g. C drive or My Documents or the Desktop) is not
backed up. It is the users’ responsibility to ensure that all data for backup is moved to a
networked drive.
IT equipment procurement, removal and relocation
Procurement
All new equipment requests should be submitted to the Financial Controller by the
relevant Director/Manager in good time. All requests will be reviewed for appropriateness
for their intended use and approved by the Finance Director. All planning and funding
relating to new IT equipment will be approved centrally by the Finance Director.
All Purchase Orders for new IT equipment will be raised centrally.
Removal
All leavers from the Company should be notified to the HR Department and Financial
Controller using the Company Leavers Form so accounts can be disabled and equipment
removed. This is especially important for security reasons.
Relocations
All equipment moves or transfers should be submitted to the Financial Controller.
Screen Savers, Wallpapers and other Software
Screen Savers and Wallpapers should not be personalised.
Users are expressly forbidden from installing any type of software on their systems
(including software downloaded from the Internet). All new software installation requests
should be submitted to the Financial Controller.
The use of unapproved memory cards/sticks or other storage devices is expressly
forbidden for security reasons.
Printers
Access to printers is controlled centrally. All new printer access requests should be
submitted to the Financial Controller.
Abuse of print facilities (such as non-business related printing activity) is not permitted.
Disposal of IT Equipment
All unwanted IT equipment should be returned to the Financial Controller.
Social Networking/Blogs
A ‘blog’ is a personal or corporate website in which the author writes, as their reflection
on a given subject evolves, their opinions, impressions, etc., so as to make them public
and receive reactions and comments about them.
‘Social networking’ is taken to mean the use of sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
and MySpace to interact socially with others. Similarly, more traditional internet forums
and bulletin boards come within the scope of these standards.
The Company does not permit the use of social networking sites/weblogs or other similar
electronic two-way communication whilst at work, as confidential information and the
reputation of Robinson Services Ltd must be protected. The only exception is if the use is
expressly related to the job role (clarity should be sought from the HR Department).
The Company does not encourage employees to write about their work in any way and
would prefer them not to do so when outside of work. If employees choose to do so then
they should follow the guidelines in this policy and ensure that any entries are not
deemed to be inappropriate or detrimental to Robinson Services Ltd.
Employees should be aware that social networking web-sites are public forums,
particularly if they form part of a ‘network’. Therefore, it should not be assumed that entry
on any web-sites will remain private. In order to protect personal information, Robinson
Services Ltd reserve the right to remove any posts from our social media channels or
those of our clients, should we feel that the information contained within the post poses a
risk to the users’ privacy or personal information.
Compliance with related policies and agreements
Social media should never be used in a way that breaches any of our other policies. If an
internet post would breach any of our policies in another forum, it will also breach them in
an online forum.
Employees are prohibited from using social media to:
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breach any other of the Company policies or procedures, e.g. employee handbook, core
principles, etc.
comment on any aspect of Robinson Services Ltd; i.e. do not reveal confidential or
commercially sensitive information/ information from internal meetings, etc (If you are
unclear as to what the Company class as commercially sensitive information please
contact the HR department).
post or display the company logos, brand names, slogans or other trademarks.
breach any obligations they and/or we may have relating to confidentiality.
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defame or disparage the organisation or its employees, business partners, suppliers,
customers, or any of their customers, employees or any other member of the public using
their services whom you have came into contact with as a result of your work.
circulate chain letters or other spam through Social Media to your colleagues.
circulate or post commercial, personal, religious or political solicitations or promotions of
outside organisations unrelated to the company’s business.
provide a person with unauthorised access to the Company any confidential information.
record any confidential information regarding the Company on any website.
harass or bully employees, colleagues, customers, or any other stakeholder in any way.
breach our Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy for example by posting
unacceptable content including (but not limited to) sexual comments or images, racial
slurs, gender-specific comments, or other comments or images that could reasonably
offend someone on the basis of race, age, sex, religious or political beliefs, national
origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.
disclose personal data that may breach the Data Protection Act 1998 (for example, never
disclose personal information about a colleague online).
upload photos of colleagues unless you have their permission to do so.
breach any other laws or ethical standards (for example, never use social media in a
false or misleading way, such as by claiming to be someone other than yourself or by
making misleading statements).
provide references for other individuals on social or professional networking sites, as
such references, positive and negative, can be attributed to the company and create legal
liability for both the author of the reference and the company.
breach copyright.
When using social networking websites or weblogs outside of the workplace we are
asking employees to:
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Take care not to allow interaction on these websites to damage working relationships
between employees, business partners and clients of Robinson Services Ltd
Disengage from any dialogue in a polite manner and seek advice of the HR department if
you find/encounter a situation while using social media, that threatens to become
antagonistic.
Use Disclaimers - You should make it clear in social media postings that you are
speaking on your own behalf. If you disclose your affiliation as an employee of our
company, you must also state that your views do not represent those of your employer.
For example, you could state, "the views in this posting do not represent the views of my
employer". You should also ensure that your profile and any content you post are
consistent with the professional image you present to business partners and colleagues.
Refer any enquiries from press, other media or legal personnel generated as a result of
social media networks, blogs or other types of online content to the HR department.
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Report immediately to your manager, any content you see in social media that
disparages or reflects poorly on our company, customers or any other of our
stakeholders. All employees are responsible for protecting our business reputation.
Be security conscious. Take steps to protect yourself from identity theft, i.e. by restricting
the amount of personal information given out.
Use of a social networking site/weblog which is deemed to be detrimental to Robinson
Services Ltd will be addressed using the disciplinary procedure.
Remember that you are legally liable for anything you write or present online.
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Employees can be disciplined by the company for commentary, content, or images that
are defamatory, pornographic, harassing, libellous, that can create a hostile work
environment or that may bring the company into disrepute.
You could also be sued by colleagues, competitors, and any individual or company that
views your commentary, content, or images as defamatory, pornographic, harassing,
libellous or creating a hostile work environment.
Internet Usage
The use of the internet is an important business tool, however careless or inappropriate
use of the company’s internet system can have serious consequences.
Internet use also brings the possibility of breaches to the security of confidential
Company information. Internet use also creates the possibility of contamination to our
system via viruses.
Internet use, on Company time, is authorised where such use supports the goals and
objectives of the business. However, access to the Internet through Robinson Services
Ltd is a privilege and all employees must adhere to the rules around internet usage by:
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complying with current legislation
using the internet in an acceptable way
not creating unnecessary business risk to the company by misuse
Employees are expected to use the Internet responsibly and productively. Internet access
is limited to job-related activities only and personal use is not permitted. Job-related
activities include research and tasks that may be completed via the Internet that would
help in an employee's role.
All Internet data that is composed, transmitted and/or received by Robinson Services Ltd
is considered to belong to Robinson Services Ltd and is recognised as part of its official
data. It is therefore subject to disclosure for legal reasons or to other appropriate third
parties.
When a website is visited, devices such as cookies, tags or web beacons may be
employed to enable the site owner to identify and monitor visitors. If the website is of an
inappropriate nature, such a marker could be a source of embarrassment to the visitor
and the Company, especially if inappropriate material has been accessed, downloaded,
stored or forwarded from the website. Such actions may also, in certain circumstances,
amount to a criminal offence if, for example, the material is pornographic in nature.
Employees should therefore not access any web page or any files (whether documents,
images or other) downloaded from the internet which could, in any way, be regarded as
illegal, offensive, in bad taste or immoral. While content may be legal in the UK, it may be
in sufficient bad taste to fall within this prohibition. As a general rule, if any person
(whether intended to view the page or not) might be offended by the contents of a page,
or if the fact that our software has accessed the page or file might be a source of
embarrassment if made public, then viewing it will be a breach of this policy.
The equipment, services and technology used to access the Internet are the property of
Robinson Services Ltd and the company reserves the right to monitor Internet traffic and
monitor and access data that is composed, sent or received through its online
connections
All sites and downloads may be monitored and/or blocked by Robinson Services Ltd if
they are deemed to be harmful and/or not productive to business.
Inappropriate Use
Employees must not under any circumstances access inappropriate or offensive websites
or distribute or obtain similar material through the internet or email when using the
organisation’s equipment, even in their own time.
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Unacceptable use of the internet by employees includes, but is not limited to:
Access to sites that contain offensive, obscene, hateful, pornographic (that is, writing,
pictures, films and video clips of a sexually explicit or arousing nature), unlawful, violent
or otherwise illegal material
Sending or posting discriminatory, harassing, or threatening messages or images on the
Internet or via Robinson Services Ltd email service
Using the organisation's time and resources for personal gain
Using computers to perpetrate any form of fraud, and/or software, film or music piracy
Undertaking deliberate activities that waste employee effort or networked resources
Stealing, using, or disclosing someone else's password without authorisation
Downloading, copying or pirating software and electronic files that are copyrighted or
without authorisation
revealing confidential information about Robinson Services Ltd in a personal online
posting, upload or transmission - including financial information and information relating
to our customers, business plans, policies, employees and/or internal discussions
Hacking into unauthorised websites, or those of other organisations or people
Sending or posting information that is defamatory to the company, its products/services,
colleagues and/or customers
Introducing malicious software onto the company network and/or jeopardizing the
security of the organization's electronic communications systems
Sending or posting chain letters, solicitations, or advertisements not related to business
purposes or activities
Passing off personal views as representing those of the organization
Engaging in unauthorised transactions that may incur a cost to the organisation or initiate
unwanted internet services and transmissions
Using the internet for political causes or activities, religious activities, or any sort of
gambling
Sending anonymous email messages
Engaging in any other illegal activities
Robinson Services Ltd has the final decision as to whether it considers particular material
to be inappropriate under this policy. If you are unsure whether particular material would
be considered appropriate by Robinson Services Ltd you should seek clarification from
the HR Manager before accessing or distributing such material.
If you receive material which contains or you suspect contains inappropriate material or
you access such material on the internet inadvertently, you must immediately report this
to your immediate manager who will tell you what to do and not under any circumstances
forward, show to anyone else or otherwise distribute the material.
Recruitment
We do not permit the use of internet searches for recruitment purposes. However we
may advertise opportunities for work at Robinson Services via online forums.
Company-owned information held on third-party websites
If you produce, collect and/or process business-related information in the course of your
work, the information remains the property of Robinson Services Ltd. This includes such
information stored on third-party websites such as webmail service providers and social
networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.