PDF DownloadPolicy restricting personal use of employer’s computers and systems

1.  PURPOSE

a)  To remain competitive, better serve our customers and provide our employees with the best tools to do their jobs, Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd makes available to our workforce access to one or more forms of electronic media and services, including but not limited to: computers, software, printers, copiers, files, databases, email, telephones, voicemail, fax machines, online services, intranet and the internet.

b)  Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd encourages the use of these media and associated services because they can make communication more efficient and effective and because they are valuable sources of information about vendors, customers, technology and new products and services. However, all employees and everyone connected with the organisation should remember that electronic media and services provided by the company are company property and their purpose is to facilitate and support company business. All computer users have the responsibility to use these resources in a professional, ethical, and lawful manner.

c)  To ensure that all employees are responsible, the following guidelines have been established for using email and the Internet. No policy can lay down rules to cover every possible situation. Instead, it is designed to express Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd’s philosophy and set forth general principles when using electronic media and services.

2.  AUTHORISATION

Access to the Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd’s technology resources is within the sole discretion of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd. Generally, employees are given access to the company’s various technologies based on their job functions. Only employees whose job performance will benefit from the use of the company’s technology resources will be given access to the necessary technology.

3.  PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS

Electronic media cannot be used for knowingly copying, transmitting, retrieving, or storing any communication that is:

  • Discriminatory or harassing;
  • Derogatory to any individual or group;
  • Obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, defamatory or threatening;
  • In violation of any license governing the use of software;
  • Engaged in for any purpose that is illegal or contrary to Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd policy or in a manner contrary to the best interests of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd, in any way that discloses confidential or proprietary information of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd or third parties, or for personal or pecuniary gain; or
  • Protected by copyrights laws unless the employee has the author’s permission or is accessing a single copy only for the employee’s reference.

4. PROFESSIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is important to maintain a proper spirit and tone to your communications over the system. The following guidelines are highly recommended:

  • Make your communications positive, constructive, complete, factual
  • Don’t write when angry and edit before sending
  • Be careful with humour – they can’t see you wink
  • Always avoid sarcastic humour
  • Never use all caps – that is perceived as “SHOUTING!”
  • Avoid belabouring disagreements in email – there is a time for face-to-face meetings
  • Always guide your recipient in responding by stating what you need and by when
  • Pay attention to grammar and spelling, both to protect your own reputation and intelligence and to avoid irritating your recipients who are distracted by careless mistakes

5.  PERSONAL USE

The computers, electronic media and services provided by Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd’s are primarily for business use to assist employees in the performance of their jobs. As long as personal use does not interfere with the employee’s duties, is not done for pecuniary gain, does not conflict with the company’s business and does not violate any company policy, occasional, or incidental use of electronic media (sending or receiving) for personal, non-business purposes is understandable and acceptable, and all such use should be done in a manner that does not negatively affect the systems’ use for their business purposes. However, employees are expected to demonstrate a sense of responsibility and not abuse this privilege.

Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd assumes no liability for loss, damage, destruction, alteration, disclosure or misuse of any personal data or communications transmitted over or stored on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd’s technology resources. Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility or liability for the loss or non‑delivery of any personal electronic mail or voicemail communications or any personal data stored on any company property. Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd strongly discourages employees from storing any personal data on any of the Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources.

6.  ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS

Generally, electronic information created and/or communicated by an employee using email, word processing, utility programs, spreadsheets, voicemail, telephones, internet and similar electronic media is not reviewed by the company. However, the following conditions should be noted:

  • Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd does routinely gather logs for most electronic activities or monitor employee communications directly
  • Telephone Use and Voicemail: Records are kept of all calls made from and to a given telephone extension. Although voicemail is password protected, an authorized administrator can reset the password and listen to voicemail messages
  • Electronic Mail: Electronic mail is backed‑up and archived. Although electronic mail is password protected, an authorised administrator can reset the password and read electronic mail
  • Desktop Facsimile Use: Copies of all facsimile transmissions sent and received are maintained in the facsimile server
  • Document Use: Each document stored Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd computers has a history, which shows which users have accessed the document for any purpose
  • Internet Use: Internet sites visited, the number of times visited and the total time connected to each site is recorded and periodically monitored.

Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd reserves the right, at its discretion and without notice, to review any employee’s electronic files and messages to the extent necessary to ensure electronic media and services are being used in compliance with the law, this policy and other company policies, or to investigate misconduct, to locate information, or for any other business purpose.

Employees should understand, therefore, that they have no right of privacy with respect to any messages or information created or maintained on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources, including personal information or messages. Accordingly, if they have sensitive information to transmit, they should use other means.

All messages sent and received, including personal messages, and all data and information stored on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd email system, voicemail system, or computer systems are company property regardless of the content.  As such, Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd reserves the right to access all of its technology resources including its computers, voicemail, and electronic‑mail systems, at any time, in its sole discretion.

Passwords do not confer any right of privacy upon any employee of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd. Employees are expected to maintain their passwords as confidential. Employees must not share passwords and must not access co-workers’ systems without express authorisation.

Deleting or erasing information, documents, or messages maintained on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources is, in most cases, ineffective.  All employees should understand that any information kept on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources may be electronically recalled or recreated regardless of whether it may have been “deleted” or “erased” by an employee.  Because Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd periodically backs‑up all files and messages, and because of the way in which computers re‑use file storage space, files and messages may exist that are thought to have been deleted or erased. Therefore, employees who delete or erase information or messages should not assume that such information or messages are confidential.

7.  THE INTERNET AND ONLINE SERVICES

Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd provides authorised employees access to online services such as the internet.  Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd expects that employees will use these services in a responsible way and for business‑related purposes only.  Under no circumstances are employees permitted to use Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources to access, download or contribute to the following:

  • Using the facilities and equipment in conflict with our objectives, such as to operate a personal business or to seek alternate employment;
  • Broadcasting personal points of view such as commentaries on social or political issues;
  • Participating in internet chat groups, online contest or promotion;
  • Using the facilities and equipment to buy or sell items;
  • Using the facilities and equipment to participate in any kind of on-line games, including gambling;
  • Access company information that is not part of their work. This includes unauthorised reading of client account information, unauthorised access to personnel file information and access to information that is not necessary for the appropriate performance of the duties of the employee’s position;
  • Misuse, unauthorised disclosure or modification of customer or staff information. This includes unauthorised modification of a personal file or sharing of electronic data on clients or staff with unauthorised personnel;
  • Any conduct that would constitute or encourage a criminal offense, lead to civil liability, or otherwise violate any regulations, local, state, national or international law;
  • The use, transmission, duplication or voluntary receipt of material that violates the copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or patent rights of any person or organisation. Assume that all material on the internet is protected by copyright or patents, unless specifically stated otherwise;
  • Creation, posting, transmission, or voluntary receipt of any unlawful, offensive, libellous, threatening, harassing material, including but not limited to comments based on race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or political beliefs;
  • Engage in any activity that intentionally restricts, disrupts or degrades the company’s ability to deliver a service, including, but not limited to, the transfer of such large amounts of material as to deliberately inhibit the performance of a service;
  • Knowingly post, transmit or otherwise distribute a virus, bug, malicious code, “Trojan horse”, “worm” or other harmful or disruptive data;
  • Engage in an activity which does or may serve to violate generally accepted standards of Internet conduct and usage, including but not limited to: the use of insulting language known as ‘flaming’; denial of service attacks; web page defacement; port and network scanning; and any unauthorised system penetrations.
  • Unauthorise downloading of any shareware programs or files for use without authorisation in advance from Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd; and using the facilities and equipment in conflict with our objectives, such as to operate a personal business or to seek alternate employment; and

Additionally, employees must not use any allocated Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd-associated email address to register on websites or subscribe to mailing lists or post messages to internet news groups or discussion groups on websites (unless prior permission to do so have been granted by Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd).  These actions will generate junk electronic mail and may expose Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd to liability or unwanted attention because of comments that employees may make.  Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd strongly encourages employees who wish to access the internet for non‑work‑related activities to use their own personal email and internet access accounts. 

8.  PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE FORUMS

Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd recognises that participation in some forums might be important to the performance of an employee’s job. For instance, an employee might find the answer to a technical problem by consulting members of a news group devoted to the technical area. In such instances, please get prior approval to do so by Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd. 

9.  SOFTWARE

To prevent computer viruses from being transmitted through the company’s computer system, unauthorized downloading of any unauthorized software is strictly prohibited. Only software registered through Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd may be downloaded. No employee may load any software on the company’s computers, by any means of transmission, unless authorised in advance by Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd.

10.  SECURITY/APPROPRIATE USE

a)  Employees must respect the confidentiality of other individuals’ electronic communications. Except in cases in which explicit authorisation has been granted by company management, employees are prohibited from engaging in, or attempting to engage in:

  • Monitoring or intercepting the files or electronic communications of other employees or third parties;
  • Hacking or obtaining access to systems or accounts they are not authorized to use;
  • Using other people’s log-ins or passwords; and
  • Breaching, testing, or monitoring computer or network security measures.

b)  No email or other electronic communications can be sent that attempt to hide the identity of the sender or represent the sender as someone else.

c)  Electronic media and services should not be used in a manner that is likely to cause network congestion or significantly hamper the ability of other people to access and use the system.

d)  Anyone obtaining electronic assess to other companies’ or individuals’ materials must respect all copyrights and cannot copy, retrieve, modify or forward copyrighted materials except as permitted by the copyright owner.

e)  Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd has installed a variety of programs and devices to ensure the safety and security of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources. Any employee found tampering or disabling any of the company’s security devices will be subject to discipline up to and including termination.

11.  ENCRYPTION

Employees can use encryption software supplied to them by the systems administrator for purposes of safeguarding sensitive or confidential business information. Employees who use encryption on files stored on a company computer must provide their supervisor with a sealed hard copy record (to be retained in a secure location) of all of the passwords and/or encryption keys necessary to access the files.

12.  CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd is very sensitive to the issue of protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary information of both Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd and third parties (“Confidential Information”).  Therefore, employees are expected to use good judgment and to adhere to the highest ethical standards when using or transmitting Confidential Information on Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources.

Confidential Information should not be accessed through Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources in the presence of unauthorised individuals. Similarly, Confidential Informa­tion should not be left visible or unattended. Moreover, any Confidential Information transmitted via Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd technology resources should be marked with the following confidentiality legend:

“This message contains confidential information. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not copy, use, or distribute this information. If you have received this message in error, please advise [employee’s name] immediately at [employee’s telephone number] or return it promptly by mail.”

13.  VIOLATIONS

Any employee who abuses the privilege of their access to email or the internet in violation of this policy will be subject to corrective action, including possible termination of employment, legal action and criminal liability.

14.  EMPLOYEE AGREEMENT ON USE OF EMAIL AND THE INTERNET

I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the aforementioned policies, rules and conditions governing the use of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd computer and telecommunications equipment and services. I understand that I have no expectation of privacy when I use any of the telecommunication equipment or services. I am aware that violations of these guidelines on appropriate use of the email and internet systems may subject me to disciplinary action, including termination from employment, legal action and criminal liability. I further understand that my use of the email and Internet may reflect on the image of Paradise Nutrients Pty Ltd to our customers, competitors and suppliers and that I have responsibility to maintain a positive representation of the company. Furthermore, I understand that this policy can be amended at any time.