Please comply with any policy which your recruitment agency or workplace has in place regarding the use of computers, internet and email. If they do not provide you with such a policy, ask them for it prior to starting your assignment.
In addition, you must comply with our policy below while out on assignment. In the event that part of our policy conflicts with guidance that your agency or workplace has given you, you should follow their policy.
Access
It’s likely that while you’re working at a site, you’ll have access to computer equipment and systems owned by the workplace or your recruitment agency. You should only access or operate hardware or software that you have specifically been appointed and authorised to use. If you are ever unsure whether it’s okay for you to use equipment or systems, you must ask.
Computer networks and the messages and information stored in or exchanged through them are the property of the recruitment agency or workplace, whichever is appropriate.
Responsible use
Computer equipment and systems are there to help you fulfil your assignment duties. It is your responsibility to ask your workplace or recruitment agency if you’re also allowed to use them for reasonable personal use, and to comply with their instructions. Never allow personal use to interfere with the carrying out and completion of your duties and tasks.
Exercise good judgement and act in a professional manner whenever you’re sending email messages or accessing the internet or other external system.
Never under any circumstances use the equipment or systems:
- To send, receive, distribute or store any illegal or unacceptable material that is (in the view of us, your workplace or recruitment agency) offensive, abusive, indecent, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic or menacing
- To transmit defamatory, obscene, offensive, racially or sexually harassing, indecent or abusive messages, or any messages that may be construed as such
- For playing games
- To send ‘spam’
- To send chain letters or spread gossip
- For personal gain
- To enter into contracts etc. in breach of this policy
Security
Before using any files on a mass storage device or downloaded from the internet or other source, they must be scanned for viruses. Any item found infected must be immediately separated from any networking arrangement and steps taken to eliminate the virus or other infection. You must contact the IT department at your workplace immediately if you receive a virus-warning message.
You must not:
- Introduce or knowingly or recklessly transmit or distribute any bug, virus or other infection
- Corrupt any data held within the equipment
- Disclose to any other person any confidential information which may be stored on the equipment or disclose any password protections to or allow access to your computer by any other person
- Use any software/disks, etc. other than those owned or leased by your workplace or recruitment agency which have been purchased new from recognised and reputable suppliers, backed by a confirmation that they are free from viruses or other infections and with a guarantee/indemnity in respect of such confirmation
- Tamper with or damage or do any act or thing which may in any way affect the output or performance of the equipment
- Disclose passwords to any third party of use personal references when choosing a password. Passwords are confidential information.
Don’t forget to switch your computer off at the end of the day or if you leave the workstation for a prolonged period.
Proprietary information
You must obey all intellectual property and copyright law.
Although material may be available for “free” online, you do not have the legal right to copy it or download it to your computer. Merely accessing the material may be a breach of copyright. You must always obtain the copyright holder’s written permission before downloading or copying from the internet or other public computer system.
Do not transmit proprietary or confidential or secret materials or information over any public computer system (which includes via email) unless it is properly encrypted and you have the authority to do so.
Failure to comply
If you fail to comply with any procedure, rule or policy given to you by either us, your recruitment agency or workplace, it will be regarded as misconduct and dealt with under our disciplinary procedure. Serious breaches or blatant disregard of procedures will be regarded as gross misconduct and render the offender liable to dismissal and possible criminal prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, even if no damage results.