Rules for Using E-Mail

A few things you need to know about using North Carolina’s e-mail system PowerPoint Show by Paul Rasmussen – 7/28/09

All E-Mail is Public Record • • All e-mail sent or received using a state e-mail account is a public record As you handle your e-mail, you must comply with NC Public Records Laws

Do Not Expect Privacy • • All state e-mail is subject to public review, and to review by state officials Anything you write in an e-mail may eventually be published in a newspaper

Save Everything You Send • • • All e-mail you send must be saved in your “Sent” box for at least 24 hours After 24 hours, you must comply with the Department of Cultural Resources retention schedule (found here ) E-mail of temporary or rapidly diminishing value may be erased after 24 hours, if the user determines that its reference value has ended

Examples of “Temporary Value” • • • “Call me when you return to your office” “Can you meet on Thursday?” “Budget requests are due on the 30 th ” E-mail that has temporary or rapidly diminishing value may be deleted by a user, but not during the first 24 hours

Not Just Temporary Value? You Must Save it for 10 years • • • • • Policies and directives Correspondence related to official business Work schedules Meeting agendas or minutes Any document which initiates, authorizes, or completes a business transaction

When You Receive E-mail . . .

• If you receive any e-mail which is definitely not related to state business, you may delete it immediately   E-mail containing advertising or offensive materials E-mail from your husband telling you what time he will have dinner on the table

When You Receive E-mail . . .

• All e-mail you receive which is related to state business must not be deleted for at

least 24 hours

• After 24 hours, you may delete e-mail you do not need, or you may save it

None of This , a Little of That • • You must not use your state e-mail account for political purposes, to conduct private commercial transactions, or to engage in private business activities You may use your state e-mail for limited family or personal communications, as long as those communications don’t interfere with your work

In Summary . . .

1. E-mail you receive which is definitely not related to state business may be deleted 2. Other e-mail you receive must be kept for at least 24 hours, then may be deleted 3. All e-mail you send must be saved for at least 24 hours 4. After 24 hours, e-mail you send must be saved for 10 years if it has permanent value

Finally . . . .

5. Everything you send or receive is public information – nothing is private!

6. Do not use your state e-mail account to conduct private or political business 7. Any personal use of your state e-mail account must be limited, and must not interfere with your work