What you must provide on an email footer
If your small business is a private or public limited company or a Limited Liability Partnership, the Companies Act 1985 requires all of your business emails to include the following:
- Company registration number;
- Place of registration (e.g. Scotland or England & Wales); and
- Registered office address
Apparently we have needed to do this for a number of years but there was some doubt so many people didn’t bother. The Companies Act 1985 was enacted on 1st January 2007 and stated that all business emails must now contain this data. If you are a sole trader then the requirement does not apply.
Footer Example:
Smallbutgettingbigger is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 1234567. Registered office: The High House, 72 Claire Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT21 5JU
Monitoring email traffic
As an employer you are able to monitor email traffic to and from your business. You can do this to ensure security and to protect your business. If you do monitor emails then you need to let people know.
A typical statement would be:
Smallbutgettingbigger Ltd may monitor email traffic data and also the content of email for the purposes of security and staff training
The specific monitoring of employee emails is subject to a raft of legislation out of the scope of this article. Again, if this is an issue for you then take legal advice or you may find yourself in hot water with the authorities.
Further advice on email law
We suggest that you contact a qualified legal advisor if you believe that your particular position may need specific advice or assistance. The following links may also help you:
OutLaw
Take Legal Advice
Source: Email and the law
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