Email and Internet Use Policy

Clear, fair rules for using work email and the internet safely, lawfully and professionally – including personal use and monitoring.

Editable Word document
15
10pages
Guidance notes included
aml consultancy solutions

IT & cyber security

Email and Internet Use Policy

About this document

What it’s for

A staff policy setting out how your people must use business email and internet access: security habits that stop phishing and misdirected emails, what personal use is allowed, what is banned, how emails are kept as business records, and how (and why) you may monitor use.

When to use it

  • Alongside your IT Acceptable Use Policy, as the detailed rules for email and web use
  • When issuing new email accounts or bringing in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
  • Before you start any monitoring of email or internet use, so staff are told in advance

What’s inside

The document is laid out in the sections below. Each one comes with a plain-English guidance note explaining what it does and what to change.

  1. Purpose
  2. Scope
  3. Definitions
  4. Roles and responsibilities
  5. Using business email
  6. Email security
  7. Personal use of email
  8. Internet use
  9. Downloads, cloud services and online accounts
  10. Social media and online communications
  11. Legal risks, contracts and professional standards
  12. Email records and retention
  13. Monitoring
  14. Absence, out-of-office and access to mailboxes
  15. Personal devices and personal accounts
  16. Reporting concerns and incidents
  17. Breach of this policy
  18. Training, monitoring and review
  19. Related documents

Also included

  • Schedule 1 – Email and internet quick guide for staff
  • Always
  • Never

How to complete it

  • Fill in your organisation’s details, contacts and approved tools
  • Choose the personal use options in clause 7 and the monitoring options in clause 13
  • Complete Schedule 2 so it matches what your systems actually log
  • Issue it with the acknowledgement form and keep signed copies

Key points to check

  • Monitoring must be necessary, proportionate and explained to staff – carry out a DPIA first if it is systematic
  • Company emails must show your registered company details

Our templates are professionally structured starting points for UK businesses, not legal advice. For anything complex, unusual or high-value, have your final version checked by a solicitor.

Included in the pack

IT & cyber security

£20

for every document in this category

Editable Microsoft Word files

Guidance notes in every document

Written for UK businesses

Download and keep

Get the packSee every document in this pack →

Need more than one category?

Documents All-Access gives you every category for 12 months for £295.

Compare options →

Need it tailored?

We can adapt any template to your business, or write a document from scratch.

Talk to us →