Protection and Use of Company Assets
Company assets, such as information, materials, supplies, time, intellectual property, software, hardware, websites and facilities, among other property, are valuable resources owned, licensed or otherwise belonging to the company.
Safeguarding company assets is the responsibility of all of us. All company assets should be used for legitimate business purposes. The personal use of company assets without permission is prohibited. However, the use of tools and heavy equipment, as examples should never be permitted for personal use for any reason.
Intellectual property consists of inventions, designs, and work created by an employee or contractor aspart of his or her job. This property, among other works created by or for the company, belongs to the company. Reproducing, copying, altering or otherwise misusing intellectual property without the permission of the company is strictly prohibited.
Each of us must:
- Use company resources responsibly to ensure that they are not misused or wasted.
- Manage budgets, expenses and other funds accurately.
- Follow ONE Gas travel rules and policies, which are designed to maximize efficiencies and minimize costs.
- Be attentive to security procedures and be alert for situations that may lead to loss, theft or misuse of resources. Occasional personal use of computers, copier and fax machines and telephones is permitted as long as it does not distract from our responsibilities and is in compliance with ONE Gas policies and procedures
- Not allow other people, including friends and family members, use of ONE Gas resources.
- Always use our own user ID and password while on a ONE Gas computer and never give out our password to anyone.
- Never use unauthorized software on a ONE Gas computer.
The above standards should be applied equally to the handling and treatment of assets and resources of prospective or existing public customers and suppliers. Government-owned property must be used for purposes specified in the appropriate contract requirements and government regulations.
Questions & Answers
A: It could be a violation depending on other facts. Is there anyone else around who can see information looking over your shoulder? Can you secure your laptop that contains confidential information in this environment? For instance, can it be stolen?
A: It depends. If the documents contain confidential or proprietary information, you should not use or share this with ONE Gas. ONE Gas expects all employees to honor any nondisclosure agreements on the confidential information they have obtained at previous jobs. If you are unsure, talk to a member of our Legal Department before using or sharing the information.
A: No. He must wait until he has received his own password. You are responsible for any activity processed under your password. By keeping a tight control over your password and changing it periodically, you are protecting ONE Gas data from unauthorized users.
A: No. You cannot use ONE Gas resources for employee-initiated volunteer work. Occasional incidental use would be acceptable, but this appears to be regular activity. While you would be using your own paper, you are still using ONE Gas resources, such as toner, ink, and network bandwidth.