Internet Etiquette at Work
By Vivien Bergl, LCSW, CEA, EAP Coordinator

This week we are going to talk about Internet etiquette at work. First let’s talk about
using the Internet at work. It’s important to know what your organization’s policy is
about personal Internet use. Saying you don’t know about the company’s rules is not an
excuse. Remember, email accounts at work are not private. The email address does not belong to you personally, it’s the company’s. They have total rights to your account.
Sometimes it is permissible to use the Internet for personal use. Usually the guidelines are to use it only before or after work hours or during lunchtime. Keep time limits to a minimum.

If you are able to use it at work, keep these basic etiquette guidelines:

• Keep your correspondence professional
• Beware of your language
• Avoid sending out e-mail that can be offensive, i.e. religious, political or of course
pornographic

The second important component of Internet etiquette is the use of e-mail as part of your job, i.e. non-personal use. Of all Internet activities, email is the most popular. People at work sometimes do things while using email they would not do if they were communicating via letter. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Be polite in your email, please and thank you can go along way
• Avoid being curt or going on and on. Use of shorthand, i.e. OMG, Plz may be inappropriate.
• All uppercase letters can seem like shouting, all lower case like mumbling. Use your judgment.
• Think about whether sending cutesy-mail is a good idea, know your audience
• Check misspellings and grammar.

Remember your e-mail correspondence says a lot about you. Your e-mail can often be the recipient’s first impression of you and the organization you represent. Read your message over before you hit send. You want to come across as friendly, respectful and approachable. Following the above guidelines can help you be effective in your communication via e-mail, which is of course the point!

If you would like to talk about this or any other problem or concern, please call Solutions Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-526-3485 or go on line (safely of course) to www.solutions-eap.com<http://www.solutions-eap.com>

George "Bud" Wassell, M.S., LPC, CEAP
Director, Solutions EAP
213 Court Street
Middletown, CT 06457
800-526-3485
fax: 860-704-6221
http://www.solutions-eap.com