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Show Vc!?rttiws I?ay The CyberLove, romantic e-ma- ils, Internet interludes Fooling around online can savage careers and sink companies is a safe and speedy way TTiink to send Valentine's Day greetings? Think again. In the age of email, luss and tell takes on new meaning. Hit the wrong key after composing an intimate note, and your hot message could land on the cold screens of your supervisors, colleagues, or customers. quickest way to express your love, but its far from the safest" cautioned Flynn. Send a romantic email to an indiscreet lover, and your private message could suddenly become the subject of public ridicule in the office and around the globe. Take the case of Claire Swire, a British woman who suffered forwards your If your your electronic expression of international embarrassment when love could be shared with millions of boyfriend Bradley Chait forwarded an strangers. Send your CyberLove note email in which Swire complimented on company time, and you could trigger Chait s performance during a night of a workplace lawsuit. passion. Forwarded from reader to 27 of Fortune 500 reader, Swires email traveled to some Fully percent be-lov- enjy Vakinitninie1 at La Hacienda of employees using company computers to send racy, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate is huge. While employees who send notes via company computers find themselves embarrassed or may unemployed, employers who permit workers to send romantic emails could tabloids, drove Swire into hiding, Chait and others responsible for sending Swires email into were disciplined for violating their The respective employers ultimate this is a sobering cautionary tale for all email users. Cyber-circulatio- w ww.e- - policylnstitute.com offers tips: online chat. Written help employers control written content, employee behavior, and said Flynn. For responsible organizations operating in the age of electronic communication, an is an indispensable business tool." Among the costly problems a Beware Hidden Readers. Poor Claire Swire had no idea her boyfriend would forward her private message to unintended, or hidden, readers. If you are trying to keep your relationship quiet, dont use email. It's simply not secure. An inaccurate keystroke or your decision to forward your could transform your secret message the days hot gossip. A into relationship if headache major your loved one is the e boss, a colleague, or a blabbermouth. Write As Though Mom Were Reading. Many people treat email too casually, sending electronic messages theyd never express on paper. Play it safe. Dont write anything you wouldnt feel comfortable saying in an elevator crowded with colleagues, customers, and competitors. productivity loss, wasted talent, fines and imprisonment, public relations nightmares, security breaches, and wasted computer resources. To limit year round, not just on Valentines Day, employers should heed the advice offered by Flynn in passion, think before you write, email may be the quickest way to express your love, but its far from the safest. Once note is on you push send, your its way through cyberspace and probably cant be retrieved. Keep The End In Sight. Todays land in court battling costly and protracted workplace lawsuits. With Valentines Day fast approaching, employers should act now to prevent CyberLove Disaster on February 14. Nancy Flynn, executive director of and author of The Handbook, m recommends employers implement written that prohibit employees from sending romantic email, downloading pornographic Internet images, and participating in adult-oriente- d can help protect written against are workplace lawsuits, The Handbook: that Implement written not and is is out what clearly spell allowed to be communicated via your organizations email and Internet systems. to give 2. Use written notice employees explicit they do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Notify employees in writing that the organization has the right to monitor anything that is transmitted or stored on its email and Internet systems, and management intends to exercise that right. For employees tempted to send CyberLove notes in spite of employer prohibitions, the experts at offer a word of advice: Dont. Shooting Cupids arrow through Cyber Space may be the 1. m big-tim- Compose Yourself Before Composing Your email. No matter how great your ve perfect romance could turn into tomorrows battle zone. No matter how much you love and trust your partner, consider the consequences of notes someday private becoming public. Dont write anything that could come back to haunt you. Need convincing? Consider the embarrassing email messages Monica Lewinsky intended for confidant Linda Tripps eyes only. That private email correspondence recounting Lewinskys romance with President Bill Clinton played a major role in the public impeachment of a United States president. Protect Your Credibility, Reputation, and Career. Adhere to your organizations up facing penalties or wind ranging from disciplinary action to termination. Restaurant $agirt,i Fork Lnira PyifffSS with Cusumolt Sals to4 srv4 with ri anJ hns .1 $6.9$ dinner special Mew IfWlk S&esilk n Still intent on sending y IunH companies have battled sexual 10 million computers in England, New harassment claims stemming from Zealand, I long Kong, Australia, and the employee misuse and abuse of US. Worldwide media coverage, corporate email and Internet systems. including the notorious London With 130 million US workers sending 2.8 billion emails a day, the likelihood ocjfj 5 5pple'Jnt srvJ with potato, ou or ulW $12.99 fiB p fe Mb wJ SPICING YOUR LIFE A AAA SINCE 1981 AAAA V? 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