II. ALS Employee Email Accounts. ALS Each employee is responsible for insuring that the electronic mail (Email) is used properly and in accordance with this policy. Any questions about this policy should be referred to the ALS Executive Director.
1. ALS Email is hosted through a Google Non-Profit Organization Account. It should be used primarily for ALS purposes. Employees shall not use the email system for personal business interests, for-profit ventures, political activities, or other uses deemed by the Executive Director to be inconsistent with Systems activities. ALS does permit personal use of Email accounts on the employee’s own time, so long as this use does not interfere with the employee’s normal work, and conforms to the provisions of this policy.
2. Employee obligation to maintain confidentiality. Employees should not enter or transmit private or confidential communications or documents on the Email system.
3. Email Retention. Email that constitutes an official record of ALS business must be kept in accordance with all records retention requirements for the department and should be copied to the network for storage. Email that is simple correspondence and not an official record of ALS business should be deleted (from both the “Inbox” and the “Trash”) as soon as possible and should not be retained by employees for more than three months. Gmail will store emails indefinitely, therefore it is staff responsibility to delete unnecessary email.
4. Employee accounts are not private. Employees do not have a personal privacy right in any communications or other documents they create, receive, or send using the Gmail system. Employees should not enter or transmit private or confidential communications or other documents created, received or sent via the Email system. Employee emails (including those that are personal in nature) may be considered public data for both e-discovery and information requests and may not be protected by privacy laws.
5. Representation. No employee is permitted to use the Email system to represent his or her views or opinions as being those of ALS, without specific authorization of the Executive Director.
6. Passwords do not insure privacy. Employees should keep in mind it is impossible to assure the confidentiality of communications or other documents transmitted or stored in the Gmail system. The Executive Director or his/her designee has access to all accounts on the system, and retains the right to access employee’s Email accounts.
7. No solicitations. The provision of the ALS no solicitation, no distribution policy, as outlined in the employee handbook, apply fully to the Email system.
8. Harassment and intimidation banned. The use of the Email system to create, transmit, or intentionally receive communications or other documents that are intimidating or that contain hostile, degrading, or otherwise offensive references to people based on their sex, race, nationality, religion, age, color, disability status, or sexual orientation violates this policy. The System’s policy against sexual or other harassment applies fully to the Email system, and any violations are grounds for discipline up to and including termination of employment.
9. Employer right to access and monitor documents. To ensure compliance with this and other policies, ALS expressly reserves the right to access, retrieve read, and/or delete any communication or other document that is created, received, or sent via the Email system.
10. Personal Devices: Employees may choose to use their own equipment to read or compose email or other System data as governed in this policy. Employees understand that by connecting their personal equipment to an ALS Gmail account, their personal devices could be searched during an e-discovery or other court-ordered scenarios, and agree to grant access to their personal devices should such a situation arise.
11. Unlawful use. Any use of an ALS provided Email account which violates Federal, State, or local law is prohibited, as is any use in violation of ALS policy.
12. Reporting abuse. Any employee who becomes aware of misuses of the Email system should promptly report the matter to the ALS Executive Director. In the event that the alleged misuse is by the Executive Director, the matter should be reported to the President of the ALS Governing Board.
I. Accounts used by ALS member libraries. These account holders are expected to follow all aspects of this policy and it is their responsibility to be aware of any other local governing agency policies which may affect their retention and use of email.
Approved by the ALS Governing Board November 12, 1998;
Revised and adopted August 12, 2004
Revised and adopted June 9, 2016
