Email Use Procedure
The Standard email system for the [organization] is Microsoft Exchange (the “SYSTEM”.) Official
communications are transmitted to employees via the SYSTEM, especially from Human Resources and
the Superintendent’s office. The proper and acceptable use of the SYSTEM should be maintained at all
times. The SYSTEM exists for the purpose of providing written communication between [organization]
staff and its stakeholders and is a primary means of disseminating important information within the
organization.
This document defines eligibility to possess a system account, the procedures for requesting a new
account, acceptable use, proper etiquette, account expiration, ownership of data within the SYSTEM,
associated password policies, privacy, spam, document archival and the use of outside email systems.
1. Eligibility
All regular, active, permanent employees are eligible for email accounts on the
[organization] email SYSTEM. Regular employees are assigned to budgeted positions,
governed by bargaining unit contracts and/or Personnel Commission rules. They may be full
or part-time. SYSTEM accounts are established via the [organization] Windows Active
Directory when a new employee is hired. The use of the SYSTEM is a privilege and is subject
to the terms and conditions set forth in this regulation.
Temporary employees supplement the regular employee workforce and are also eligible for
restricted email accounts on the SYSTEM. Temporary employees are sometimes referred to as
Limited Term, Substitute, Extra Help or Consultants. These are at-will employees and are called on
to work as needed. They are not governed by any contract language and [organization] is not
obligated to offer work or on-going employment. Their use of the SYSTEM is restricted to the
duration of their work assignment.
Outside agents who perform services under a performance agreement are generally not eligible for
accounts on the SYSTEM.
Exceptions: Requests for accounts for individuals who do not meet the stated eligibility criteria must
be made to [department]. Requests will be evaluated weighing the business need versus the
associated risk presented in each case.
2. New System Account
Human Resources notifies [department] of all personnel transactions. These include ad hoc
notifications for each new hire when processed by HR. The notices include the employee name, start
date, the department and division as well as the immediate supervisor.
Network Services creates a new Active Directory account and Exchange mailbox for the new
employee. The Help Desk also creates a new service ticket in the employee’s name to establish the
initial login to the SYSTEM and ensure proper setup of the employee’s email program.
Exceptions: In cases where a new hire reports prior to the HR notification, the employee’s
immediate supervisor should contact the Help Desk to request a new account. The Help Desk will
verify the employment status of the new hire and initiate the above procedure.
3. Privacy
The SYSTEM is owned and operated by [organization]. Email in the SYSTEM may be monitored for
content. [Organization] may inspect the contents of any individual or group mailbox. No employee
can expect that communication within the SYSTEM is private.
Email should be considered a postcard sent in the public mail. The information is delivered to the
addressee but can be read at any time in transit or after delivery.
4. Acceptable Use/Abuse/Etiquette
Respectful, professional communications – including via email – are vital to conducting business and
building relationships with colleagues and the general public. It is important that our
communications:
are respectful in tone
are consistent across our employees, programs and offices
comply with [Organization] policies and procedures about confidential information; acceptable
use of technology; use of [Organization] resources for political activities, etc
By ensuring our communications meet these standards, [Organization] employees will convey a
professional image, ensure efficient and accurate responses, and prevent misunderstandings and
even legal problems. These guidelines have been created to assist employees in ensuring emails rise
to these standards.
Using Email
Limit use of [Organization] email to official business.
Use common sense email subject line
Keep messages brief and to the point
Always use the spelling and grammar check feature and proofread for errors
Be considerate of other people’s time by not answering emails simply to say “I agree” or
“Thanks” unless it is important to let the sender know you received the message
Use blind copies judiciously
Do not email “stationary” or backgrounds
If you will not be checking your email for longer than one day, set up an “out of office”
automatic reply feature
Unacceptable Email Use
Includes but is not limited to:
Sending email with content or links that are threatening, obscene, repeated and unwanted,
harassing, and/or racially, sexually, or ethnically offensive
Sending email with content that slanders, libels or defames anyone
Sending chain letters
Sending work-related information to unauthorized recipients
Sending or receiving software or other products outside of licensing agreements
Using [Organization] email for personal use (including political, social, religious, recreational,
financial gain)
Unauthorized access of someone else’s computer or mailbox
Revealing confidential information via email
Using email for illegal or unethical activities
Email Signatures
A signature block is a block of text automatically appended at the bottom of an email message.
Email signatures contain contact details, including the sender’s title and organization name, which
help the recipient get in touch. [Organization] staff should use a standard email signature format,
customizing information as necessary.
Periodically, [Organization] Chief Communications Officer (CCO) will email all employees a few
sentences to be added to each individual’s email signature. These lines are intended to draw
attention to [Organization] programs, services or activities in order to increase general awareness.
[Organization] Email Signature Convention
Use a closing signature consisting of your name, title organization, telephone number, email
address, website URL, and the standard signature language for the month (in italics.)
Signatures should not include quotes other than the standard email signature provided by the CCO.
Email signatures may include badges associated with [Organization] programs. Other badges are not
to be used in [Organization] email signatures.
Example:
Firstname Lastname
Title
Organization
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.website.com
School is back in session and [District] students continue to make gains on standards-
based tests. Learn more about the recent California Standards Tests results at ww.website.com.
Additional Resources
Questions regarding email etiquette or email signatures may be directed to the Chief
Communications Office are [email protected] or xxx-xxx-xxxx.
All use of the SYSTEM must also comply with [Organization] Administrative Regulations XXXX.
Any suspected abuse of the SYSTEM should be reported to the [manager] or designee.
5. Account Term/Expiration
Regular Employees: Access to the SYSTEM is available while the employee remains a Regular
Employee and is revoked upon resignation, retirement or release from [Organization].
Temporary Employees: Access to the SYSTEM is granted in monthly increments. The immediate
supervisor must request extension of all Temporary Employee accounts.
Exceptions: The [management] may grant a later account expiration, at his/her discretion, to meet
the business needs of [Organization].
6. Continuance of Privileges/Staff Resignations/Terminations
The SYSTEM is a tool provided to current [Organization] employees. Individuals who are no longer
employed by [Organization] are not eligible for an account and will have no access after their
separation date.
[Organization] will not forward email from the SYSTEM to outside accounts for any separated
employee. All email in the SYSTEM is the intellectual property of [Organization].
7. Data Ownership
All email, files, attachments, calendar entries and task items are the exclusive property of
[Organization]. The bulk release of any data from the SYSTEM requires the prior authorization of the
[management]. No data is transferable to any former employee upon separation from
[Organization].
8. Unnamed Group Accounts
Individual employee accounts in the SYSTEM are named and associated with each employee’s name.
However, there are instances where internal “public folder” accounts may be created to facilitate a
department’s work flow. Email delivered to these accounts may be accessed by members of the
public folder group. A moderator is assigned from each to manage the email items in the folder.
Public folders may be requested through the [Organization] User Support Help Desk.
9. Password Procedure
An [Organization] email account is a valuable asset that uniquely identifies each employee.
Passwords for the SYSTEM are the user’s Windows logon password to the [Organization] Active
Directory domain. The password used to access the SYSTEM should be kept private to safeguard
one’s identity and privacy and should not be shared.
The SYSTEM requires a strong password that meets the following criteria:
It must be a minimum of seven (7) characters
It must contain three (3) of the following types of characters:
o Uppercase letter
o Lowercase letter
o Numeral
o Non-alphanumeric characters (%, !, &, etc)
It cannot contain a user’s logon name
It cannot contain any portion of the user’s full name
It must be changed every 365 days
When changed, it must not match the previous password
10. Spam
Spam is the use of electronic delivery systems to send unsolicited bulk messages. Spam can cause a
reduction in performance of the SYSTEM and can create situations in which the SYSTEM fails
completely. Spam is generally associated with advertising but it is also used in criminal activities
(phishing) that solicit personal information from people used to steal identities or access personal
financial information. In many instances, desktop computers infected with certain viruses are used
as launch pads for these phishing attacks. Spam can cause the listing of the SYSTEM in public
databases of spammers. Other email systems that subscribe to these lists may block email delivery
from the SYSTEM.
Sending Spam
All users of the SYSTEM are prohibited from sending spam under any circumstance. Email should
only be sent to individuals with whom [Organization] has an existing relationship and should never
be sent unsolicited and to large numbers of recipients. [Organization] utilizes listserves to send out
messages to large groups of users who opt-in to receive related communication within their groups.
Receiving Spam
[Organization] utilizes an email gateway product as part of the SYSTEM that analyzes incoming
email and classifies it as deliverable or as spam. Spam is quarantined in a seven (7) day holding area.
Users are notified daily that they have received spam and can review these messages. A message
improperly classified as spam can be released from the quarantine via a web site.
Spam techniques change frequently as spammers try to defeat anti-spam systems. Users may see a
periodic increase in the number of unwanted messages received as these techniques leapfrog the
anti-spam methods used in the SYSTEM.
11. Security
All normal communication through the SYSTEM should be considered publicly readable, open and
insecure. Messages that traverse the Internet can potentially be viewed by others who are not
recipients and should be treated as non-confidential. Email should be considered like a postcard
sent in the U.S. Mail.
12. Quotas
At present, the SYSTEM does not enforce quotas governing the maximum size of any mailbox.
However, [Organization] reserves the right to impose email storage quotas for any and all accounts
on the SYSTEM.
13. Archival
A copy of all email in the SYSTEM is archived upon receipt in a legal compliance mailbox for archival
and legal “e-discovery” purposes. Email in the SYSTEM is archived for a period of the prior full three
(3) years plus the current school year. Some email in the SYSTEM may be archived for longer periods
of time as required to comply with local, state and federal requirements. Expired email will be
removed from the SYSTEM.
The creation and storage of off-line copies of email is prohibited. All messages in the SYSTEM must
comply with the archive requirements.
14. Attachments, Viruses and Malware
The SYSTEM can receive attachments up to twenty-five (25) megabytes in size. Many other systems,
however, have much smaller size limits on incoming messages.
The SYSTEM blocks the delivery of files with filename extensions that pose a significant risk to
[Organization] systems. These files often hide viruses. These are typically file extensions that end
in .zip, .scr, .exe, .pif, .com, .bat, .pi, .uue, .cmd, .vb, .vbs, .is, .elm, .chm, .hta, .wsh, .msi, .b64, .bhx,.
hqx, .rar, .mim, .uu, .xxe, .cpl, .jpeg and .png.
The SYSTEM scans all incoming email for viruses and other malware threats. However, new threats
are discovered hourly and there is no guarantee that every scanned file is truly virus free. Users
should not open attachments that are suspicious or unexpected. Many virus infected email is
delivered from accounts a user may recognize. Users should attempt to verify with the sender of the
legitimacy of an unexpected attachment before opening the file(s.)
If a user of the SYSTEM inadvertently opens a suspicious file or web site link, the user should contact
the User Support Services Help Desk immediately to report the incident and to initial removal of any
infection.
Once reported, harmful email may be deleted by system administrators through the entire SYSTEM
to preserve the integrity of the SYSTEM.
15. Use of Personal Devices
The SYSTEM is accessible to many wireless communication devices. The use is regulated by
[Organization] Administrative Regulation XXXX.
An Assistant Superintendent may authorize access to the SYSTEM on an employee’s personal
wireless communication device as part of a work assignment for the conduct of [Organization]
business.
Access to the SYSTEM will be provided to an authorized employee under the following conditions:
The employee agrees to configure his/her activated wireless communication device(s) to require
password access. To maintain [Organization] network security, employees are discouraged from
saving passwords in the email configuration of the device.
The employee agrees to notify [department] immediately in the event of loss or theft of his/her
activated wireless communication device(s.)
The employee agrees to comply with [Organization] acceptable use, data security policies and
all applicable Board Policies, administrative regulations, and state and federal laws. Violations
may result in the revocation of access privileges.
