University of Florida Policy on E-mail and Internet use

Larry T. Ellis, Director of University Personnel Services

As more University of Florida employees enjoy desktop access to email and Internet, there is an increased need to ensure that everyone understands the rights and responsibilities regarding the use of these technologies, as well as the university’s policies regarding their use.

Like the telephone, email and Internet use should be restricted to business purposes. However, it is reasonable to expect that employees may occasionally access these resources for personal reasons. Employees should refrain from using work time to send or receive personal e-mails, or to view web sites that have no relevance to work.

The university’s policies on the acceptable use of e-mail computer resources and the Internet cover appropriate use of e-mail and web pages as well as what constitutes inappropriate, excessive, or disruptive use. The university’s e-mail and Internet resources are official business tools, and should be used appropriately. Please refer your employees to the above links to review the university’s policies, or consult the UF Policy on E-mail as Public Records for additional clarification.

As always, your help communicating this information to employees is appreciated. Should you have questions or concerns about an employee’s use of e-mail or the Internet for personal reasons, please contact Dr. Carl Barfield in Academic Affairs at 846-2849 or barfield@ufl.edu, or Kimberly Czaplewski in Employee Relations at 392-1072 or kim-c@ufl.edu.