Business e-mail comes with risk and responsibility

It’s a high tech world. Communications are faster and more frequent. E-mail and its cousin “instant messaging” (IM) are wonderful business tools, but they come with risk and require responsibility.

The risks:

• Messages can and sometimes do go anywhere. Once the e-mail is sent, control is gone. It’s often not a “personal” but rather a very “public” communication.


• It can end up posted on the Internet. It can embarrass and tarnish your business’s image.


• Virus threat. E-mails with attachments can introduce destructive viruses into your system and network.


• Lawsuit threat. We live in a very litigious society. Company e-mails and IMs are subject to subpoenas. How would you like to hear yours read in a court proceeding?


• Inappropriate employee communications. A disgruntled or insensitive employee can cause significant damage to your reputation and the value of your business.


• Loss of productivity. Excessive personal use of e-mail can adversely impact productivity.

• Set some rules, communicate them, and monitor compliance. Have a detailed e-communications policy that you review and discuss with your employees. Educate and inform them about the risks of e-mail and why the policies are necessary. Policies should be specific, but not so restrictive that morale, productivity, and motivation suffer.


• Emphasize the need for care. Instill a sense of respect. Remind employees that hitting “reply” or “reply all” can have significant differences. Emphasize that certain actions will not be tolerated. Nothing that is libelous, sexually inappropriate, or damaging to the organization is ever acceptable.


• Consider encryption for increased security. Does your current process leave you with a feeling of security or insecurity? Encryption tools can control who reads your business communications.


• Consider using other forms of communication. E-mail might not always be appropriate. Registered mail, a letter, or a private phone call might be more effective.


• Spell-check communications. Consider spell-check to improve the appearance and quality of your messages.


• Draft in document format first, then import to e-mail. For lengthy e-mails, this is often a better way to write.


• Emphasize the importance of confidentiality. E-communications are important documents and should be handled with appropriate care.


• Remember the company owns the e-communications. Legal precedence has been established that company generated e-communications are in fact company property. You have the right to control what you own.