Email to Jail
What you send in an email can hurt you.
Email Policy Is Not Enough
27% of Fortune 500 companies have had to deal with harassment claims concerning email (IDC), and up to 40% of emails are not business related. A survey of 800 FTSE 1000 companies revealed:
- 56% experienced internal email abuse
- 62% had employees distributing offensive mail
- 32% discovered employees passing confidential information to a third party
Protecting both your business from email misuse requires more than an email policy. The news is filled with stories about companies paying large fines, and about corporate officers being prosecuted, all stemming from employee email misuse. Being unaware is no longer an acceptable defense.
Can You Be Personally Liable?
Yes, you can. Executive management and corporate officers have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the company and its shareholders, and may become personally liable for statutory offenses committed by the firm. There are three major factors related to emails that increase your risk:
- More industry specific regulations on accounting practices, insider trading, and corporate governance.
- Your company’s financial, proprietary information and intellectual property travels in your email system.
- Every employee has an email account
Due to the convergence of these factors, your company is now potentially at risk every time an employee sends an email. As an executive, you can be personally liable for the actions of your employees in some cases and be subject to fines and penalties.
