HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY E-MAIL
E-MAIL is provided by HART for employees to conduct Authority business. Communication by E-MAIL is encouraged when it results in the most efficient and/or effective means of communication.
The use of HART E-Mail is restricted for official HART business. The Executive Director and his\her designee may authorize the use of HART equipment to send information from management to employees or, on an exception basis, from recognized employee organizations to employees they represent to inform them of meetings, happenings, or events of general or special interest. Use of E-Mail in any way to conduct or promote a private commercial enterprise is strictly forbidden under any circumstances.
All HART employees are to use E-Mail as they would any other official HART communications system. The sender of E-Mail communications retains the primary responsibility for ensuring that communications are received by those intended. When E-Mail is transmitted, both the sender and reader must determine if the communication falls within the HART guidelines. The guidelines include, but are not limited to, ensuring that the communication is not a conflict of interest or is unethical. No communication should contain confidential information.
All E-Mail communications are part of the HART computer system and, therefore, are considered HART property. HART management reserves the right to review all communications made by its employees. E-Mail communications may be retrieved by the Information Systems (IS) Division although they have been deleted by the sender and receiver. When necessary, retrieved communications may be used in disciplinary proceedings.
To accommodate security issues the Information Systems Division may monitor the use of all HART computer equipment to identify potential abuse of computer systems. The Information Systems Division may restrict employee use of E-Mail and computer equipment as necessary to achieve conformity with HART guidelines.
All HART employees who use E-Mail have certified that they have read and fully understand the contents of this policy and agree to the following statement:
Abuse of the E-Mail system may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
They understand that all electronic communication systems as well as all information transmitted, received, or stored in these systems is the property of the Authority. They also understand that such systems are to be used solely for job-related and not for personal purposes and that they have no expectation of privacy in connection with the use of this equipment or the transmission, receipt, or information stored in such equipment.
They further understand and agree not to use a code, access a file, or retrieve any stored communication unless authorized; and acknowledge and consent to the company's monitoring their use of this equipment at any time at its discretion. Such monitoring may include printing and reading all E-Mail entering, leaving, or stored in these systems.
