By ROY WOOD

Oliver town council received a refresher course Monday in the legalities and etiquette of workplace email communication.

Corporate Officer Diane Vaykovich reminded members of council that emails are part of the town’s official record and are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPPA).
Emails can be called as evidence in court or other proceeding.

Marking an email “private and confidential” offers no protection and deleted mails can be retrieved from server memory.

“There is no such thing as an ‘off-the-record’ email,” said the document she gave to council.

Vaykovich provided a few etiquette tips, including:

• Choose the right words to express the correct tone and emotion with clarity and brevity;
• Put yourself in the shoes of the recipient before hitting the “send” button;
• Always avoid emoticons;
• Don’t try to be witty or sarcastic;
• Use the “reply all” function sparingly; and
• Remember to consider using the blind carbon copy (bcc) function when appropriate.

Mayor Ron Hovanes said he agrees with the cautions recommended by Vaykovich. “Everyone has received an email that has made them feel uncomfortable,” he said.

Vaykovich said following the meeting that she recently attended a conference where FOIPPA issues were discussed and she decided a quick reminder to council couldn’t hurt.