No surfing the web to pass the time for town employees.
No sending chain letters, no partisan political activity, no online games and, of course — no porn.
A new computer and Internet usage policy the Board of Selectmen approved Tuesday forbids using town computers for anything except town business. That includes Internet usage, so playing online games during a lull in the workday is out.
They didn’t make an exception for reading the Valley Indy.
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“The use of the Town of Oxford automated systems, including computers, fax machines and all forms of Internet/Intranet access is for business purposes only,” the policy begins.
But the policy does include a caveat: “Brief and occasional personal use may be approved if it is not excessive or inappropriate, occurs during personal time (lunch or other breaks) and does not result in any expense to the town.”
“It is basically saying that you shouldn’t go where you don’t belong or where you’re not authorized to be,” said Joseph Calabrese, First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Roger’s administrative assistant. “Anything you do should be related to work and it bans engaging in private or personal business on town time.”
According to the policy, “excessive” use means it “interferes with normal job functions, responsiveness or the ability to perform daily job activities.”
And under the policy, town officials have the right and the ability to track employee’s Internet use.
“Internet use is not confidential and no rights to privacy exist,” it says. “The town reserves the right to monitor Internet/intranet usage, both as it occurs and in the for of account histories and their content.”
And that includes emails, according to the policy.
“I think this is something with the use of electronic equipment moving into the area we need as a specific policy,” Drayton-Rogers said of the need for the new policy. “Everyone knows what is allowable and it provides protection for the town.”
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