Play-Well may provide employees with computer equipment and communication services, including an Internet connection and access to an electronic communications system, to enable them to perform their jobs successfully. This policy governs your use of Play-Well's email system.

Although you may use the email system for personal messages, you may do so during non-work hours only. If you send personal messages through Play-Well's email system, you must exercise discretion as to the number and type of messages you send. Any employee who abuses this privilege may be subject to discipline.

**Email Is Not Private**

Email messages sent or received using Play-Well communications equipment or communication services are the property of Play-Well. We reserve the right to access, monitor, read, and/or copy email messages at any time, for any reason. In addition, you should not expect that any email message you send or receive using company equipment or communication services including messages you consider to be personal, will be private.

**Email Rules**

All of our policies and rules of conduct apply to employee use of the email system. This means, for example, that you may not use the email system to misrepresent your affiliation with Play-Well, to send harassing or discriminatory messages, including messages with explicit sexual content or pornographic images; or to send threatening messages. Instructors are not allowed direct email contact with parents without the consent of their supervisors.

We expect you to exercise discretion in using electronic communications equipment. When you send email using Play-Well's communications equipment or communication services, you are representing Play-Well. Make sure that your messages are professional and appropriate, in tone and content. Remember, although email may seem like a private
conversation, email can be printed, saved, and forwarded to unintended recipients. If at any time you receive an email communication from a client or other business contact which raises concern or is in any way inappropriate or unprofessional, please forward the email to your supervisor for input before responding. Remember in all written communication to read and reread your messages before hitting send.

**Retaining and Deleting Email Messages**

Because email messages are electronic records, certain messages must be retained for compliance purposes. If you have any questions about whether and how to retain a particular email message, please ask your manager.

**No Solicitation by Email**

You may not use the email system to solicit others to patronize an outside business or to support an outside organization, a political candidate or cause, or a religious cause. You also may not use the email system to ask employees to donate to a particular charitable cause without the prior consent of our president, Tim Bowen.

**Guidelines for Email Writing**

1. Always spell-check or proofread. Email is official company correspondence. Spelling and grammar errors in email are all too common, and they look sloppy and unprofessional.

2. Use lowercase and capital letters in the same way that you would in a letter. Using all capital letters in the email is equivalent of shouting at someone and it can be hard on the eyes. Failing to use capital letters at all (to begin a sentence or a formal noun) can confuse your reader and seem overly cute. Unless you are writing poetry, use standard capitalization.

3. Remember your audience. Although email encourages informal communication, that might not be the most appropriate style to use if you are addressing the CEO of an important customer. And remember that your email can be forwarded to unintended recipients, some of whom may not appreciate joking comments or informalities.

4. Don't use email for confidential matters. Again, remember the risk of unintended recipients. Your email might be forwarded to someone you didn't anticipate or might be sitting on a printer for all to see. If you need to have a confidential discussion, do it in person or over the telephone.

5. Send messages sparingly. There is rarely a need to copy everyone in Play-Well on an email. Carefully consider who really needs to see the message, and address it accordingly. Similarly, consider carefully before using the “Reply All” feature of email. In many cases, you need only respond to the sender.

6. Always think before you send. Resist the urge to respond in anger, to "flame" your recipient, or to get emotional. Although email gives you the opportunity to respond immediately, you don't have to do so.

7. Don't leave the subject line blank. Always include a brief, specific description so readers will know what your email is about at a glance. This makes it easier for all of us to manage our email, and makes it more likely that you will receive a response to your message.

8. Don't overuse the “urgent” tag. Mark a message as 'urgent,' only if it is truly important and must be answered right away. If you are sending your supervisor an email message that is regarding an urgent matter and you need immediate response, consider also reaching out to them by telephone and leaving a voicemail with brief details about the situation or referring them to read your email message as soon as possible.