The Employer’s Legal Advisor

Handling Misuse of Company Electronics Through Monitoring

Computers and fax machines are now almost universal, and employee misuse of them is beyond dispute. It’s a fact that employees use the Internet from their places of work for their own amusement and access sites that their employers do not want on the company’s servers. E-mails may be sent that have nothing to do with business and may contain harassing materials or other unlawful content. Misuse of computers and company electronics may result in sabotage and actions in breach of confidentiality obligations, defamation, and copyright infringement. A clear, comprehensive, written company policy limiting the uses an employee may make of a company computer is essential. To the extent possible, ...