Corporate E-mail Policies and Standards 

 

Systems Ownership and Security

All Company E-mail systems and data, however transmitted (e.g., through a local file server, or the Internet), accessed (e.g., remotely from a user's home), stored (including hard copy or other reproductions), are the property of the Company. Accordingly, the information and data transmitted through the E-mail systems are confidential and proprietary to the Company. Only authorized users may access the system. All users of the systems are responsible for the security of data, using all available Company-provided and supported physical and logical security controls. 

 

Clinical information pertaining to identified patients, which is subject to privacy and confidentiality rights of patients, should not be "copy/paste," appended, or otherwise transmitted via E-mail.

 

Privacy

No privacy should be presumed with respect to E-mail and similar data; as proprietary material owned by the Company, the Company may access such data as needed.

 

Solicitation

In accordance with Company policy (please refer to the Company Employee Handbook), no non-Company employee may use the Company E-mail system for any form of solicitation at any time. Employee violations of the Company's policy include any type of solicitation for non-Company business purposes or the sending or reviewing of personal communications of any type except when the employee is on a break from work duties and activities.

 

 

Other Use and Content Guidelines

In addition to the topics addressed above, all users should remember that the Company is a high-profile provider of goods and services in a highly regulated industry. Users should consider that at all times they are representatives of the Company and the possibility that, although every precaution has been exercised, E-mail content may nonetheless be reviewed by persons external to the Company, including the media and government regulators.

As with all other venues, the highest level of professional conduct is expected at all times. The E-mail system should only be used in an ethical manner and should never be used in a manner that violates any law or the civil rights of any person. The E-mail system should never be used in any of the following ways:

 

As a forum for political or religious debate

As a form of entertainment or for the distribution of chain letters 

To harass, intimidate or threaten another employee, user, or other person 

For the distribution of any obscene material 

 

In any external communications (i.e., Internet or commercial service), users should disclose their Company affiliation (i.e., job title or contractor status) and any opinions expressed should be stated as non-Company endorsed statements.

 

 

Sanctions

Violations of the above policy subject the user to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment or contractor status, and/or legal action.