Email Privacy in the Workplace

bizzy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:59:20 +0000

In today’s fast-paced working world, email is a quick and efficient communication tool that also serves as a convenient record of correspondence. Despite the advancements email has brought about in the workplace, however, it can also be a dangerous tool when used unprofessionally.

One important factor that’s often overlooked when it comes to email is the issue of privacy. To stay on the right side of email etiquette (and in some cases, the law) always assume that emails which have been sent to you solely have been sent in confidence. Avoid forwarding these emails without the consent of the person who sent them to you, whether the sender is within or outside of your organization. When it comes to emails you send and receive from your work account, remember that they are the property of the organization you work for, and could potentially be retrieved by a tech administrator–even after you’ve deleted them.

If you’re sending a bulk email that includes people outside of your organization, use the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) function. Exposing someone’s email address to a large group of strangers invades their privacy, and also makes them vulnerable to spam, should someone decide to copy the list and send out unsolicited emails. Email privacy may seem like a little thing, but it all adds up to a bigger picture.

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Email Privacy in the Workplace