A follow on to Steve’s post: “Is A NH Public Employee Using The Internet to Sell his Political Agenda On Your Time?”
Well, let’s start with the easy stuff. First, many companies of “size” have strict regulations about what employees can and cannot do with computer equipment – and Internet access using that equipment. After all, it isn’t the employe’s as someone else (i.e., the owner, the stockholders, the taxpayers) ended up with less money in their pocket so that this equipment could be purchased, could be provisioned (e.g., sSo, does the State of NH have such a document? InDEED it does!
In fact, there are several, very specific restrictions on what / how State of NH Employees can do with State owned computer equipment and networks – and Internet access. It also seems that each employee has to sign it to show that they have read the document (and, hopefully, understand it:
2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
YOUR SIGNATURE AND INITIALS ARE REQUIRED AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS POLICY.
I would assume, given that Mr. De Seve is allowed the use of “Esq.” after his name (as he is a lawyer), the he would understand that this puts a legal obligation on every employee within State Government. Thus, anything he does (or doesn’t do) with State owned equipment paid for with taxpayer monies entrusted to his care are specifically enumerated within the policy (just like one of the SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreements he negotiated on behalf of the union with the State).
Once again, there is such a clause!
3 COMPUTER USE
The network and computer equipment are State of New Hampshire property and are to be used for State business purposes only.
Just thought I’d bold that part – makes it easier to follow along here in pointing out the important stuff. And yes, this is important! And if that wasn’t clear enough, being a Government document, it goes into more excruciating detail:
