The HR Specialist

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Q. What areas should we cover in our electronic communications policy?

A. The policy should make clear that the company owns the communications systems and that all messages (e-mail, voice mail, etc.) are the property of the company. The policy also should specify that employees have no expectation of privacy in their messages and that the company may review or monitor messages for legitimate business reasons.

The policy also should remind employees that communications systems are subject to all company policies, including policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment.