Internet and Email
INTRODUCTION
Northrop Grumman considers the Internet and e-mail to be vitally important assets in the conduct of our business. Employee literacy and ease in using this technology brings enormous added value to our work every day.
At the same time, misuse of this technology can bring significant downside costs. On any program, commercial or government, misuse of any of the company?s physical assets is just as wrong as the misuse of time. It cuts into our ability to perform our jobs effectively as well as to be productive and competitive.
Nowhere do the use or misuse of time and the use or misuse of physical assets come together more clearly than when we talk about e-mail and the Internet. Misuse of these assets has an impact on your time and productivity. It also can tie up the system for other users and present potential liability for the company and the employee.
AN ASSET
Company policy is clear in its endorsement of this most important business tool. It is provided to assist employees "?in the conduct of company business or work-related activity that promotes the company?s interest."
- When properly used this technology should enhance your ability to do your job and be more productive because it facilitates one of the major conditions of business success: fast, efficient, global communication.
- The company recognizes that this technology is very important and wants employees to be versatile and well schooled in its use.
- Employees are encouraged to take advantage of e-learning at appropriate times with management knowledge.
- Use of the computer on your own time to further your education and development is encouraged with management approval.
- Your manager can approve personal use, but this use must comply with company policy and Standards of Business Conduct. Abuse of such approval could lead to loss of Internet access or other discipline.
A CHALLENGE
As with every technology, the benefits it brings can be offset by the challenges it poses and there are adjustments to behavior users have to make.
- In general, the company Internet or e-mail should be used during working hours for purposes associated with our business or your job.
- The company server and other servers along the communication path keep records of Internet access and e-mail that normally are not visible to you but that can be read by experts.
- Your Internet and e-mail communications using the company server are NOT private. All stored messages and records are company property.
- Monitoring systems in place have identified employees who abuse this communication vehicle. They have been disciplined and some have been terminated for persistent misuse.
VALUES
Our company Values offer some clear guidance. Let?s look at a few of them.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ? The proper use of this technology increases communication with our customer. It has the potential to increase productivity. Productivity serves not only the interest of our customer but is a vital competitive advantage for the company as well.
INTEGRITY ? We are all personally accountable for the highest standards of behavior including honesty and fairness in all our work. Put this in the form of a question about any action you are going to take. Does it meet the high standard of behavior, honesty and fairness?
PEOPLE ? "We treat one another with respect?" The e-mail you send or the Internet images you forward could offend, annoy, distract or embarrass the receiver. The joke may be funny to you but you have given the recipient no choice. You have put it on the recipient?s electronic desk, like it or not. The chain mail you send could not only impact the recipient but could also slow down the system for all users.
JUDGMENT
Using the Values to decide what is appropriate or not is not easy in all cases. Company policy is explicit in some cases but can?t cover every instance. Clearly inappropriate are:
- Unauthorized communication of proprietary data, trade secrets, private company information, classified data or information that violates Export Control requirements (See companion "Test Yourself" brochure on Export Control)
- Communications that could reasonably be considered disruptive because they are untrue, harassing, obscene, intimidating or they defame someone
- Communications that could reasonably be considered offensive based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability
- Communications that solicit employees during work time, office pools, chain letters or messages that clog the system
- Communications that violate copyright laws, software and other license agreements and any aspect of our contracts
TESTS
It's easy to determine that some subjects are clearly related to "company business or work-related activity" and equally easy to determine that some are not. As always, it?s the ones in the middle or the "gray" areas that are difficult. For these we recommend a few tests:
- When you compose an e-mail, before you send it, ask yourself if you have treated it as a business communication and would be comfortable if it was printed as a Memo or on company letterhead.
- Ask yourself the "Time" question. Is this a productive use of time?
- Take the "Sunlight" test. Ask yourself: "Would I be doing this if my manager was looking over my shoulder?"
- If that doesn?t work, don?t just ask yourself, ask your manager. Thomas Jefferson could have been speaking about Internet and e-mail ethics when he said:
Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you and act accordingly.