Emails That Could Get You FIRED!
January 18, 2012 
37 Comments
For better or for worse, email is increasingly the way many Americans communicate in this technological era.
About 62 percent of employed adults use email or the Internet at work, a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study found, and many also have mobile devices that help keep them connected even when they aren’t at work.
All that connectivity allows users to speed communication instantly across thousands of miles. But failure to use the technology wisely can result in recipients being offended and the sender’s judgment called into question.
More seriously, failure to heed some basic rules of email etiquette can result in workers being fired from their jobs. Just ask David Cox, the former auditor for Knox County, Tenn., who was fired last month after he sent an expletive- and insult-laden email to Knox County Commissioner Amy Broyles.
One such email, supplied to the Knoxville News Sentinel by Broyles, included the following rant: “You are such a B….!! And your family are weirdos that go to a wierd (sic) church!”
Cox was fired following an internal review, which cited “impairment to objectivity” as the official reason for termination, the newspaper noted. In letting his anger get the best of him, Cox, 43, essentially surrendered a $42,600 a year job where he had worked for nearly three years.
Moreover, it was unnecessary. A rule of basic etiquette is to avoiding sending email when angry, according to Jacqueline Whitmore, the brains behind etiquetteexpert.com.
Though the message contained within Cox’s fuming missive is plain, the emotions behind many emails isn’t always clear. “Facial expression, vocal inflection or body language can’t be conveyed in an email, so messages may be misconstrued as too harsh, too critical or too casual,” notes Whitmore, author of “Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work.”
Whitmore advises workers (or anyone using email, for that matter) to never send email when angry, and to take time out to cool down and re-read a message before sending it, to ensure that nothing has been written that may be regretted later.
Along with sending “mood mail,” as Whitmore refers to anger-filled email, here are nine other email mistakes that can easily be avoided, compiled from the author’s list of “15 Essential Email Etiquette Tips,” published at her website:
- ALL-CAPPED email. Using all uppercase letters is considered CYBER SHOUTING (and you could be fired for it). As an alternative, use asterisks to emphasize key words. “Bob and I had a *wonderful* time at the company reception last night.”
- Personal email. If you wish to send someone confidential or time-sensitive information, use the phone or meet in person. Emails can be duplicated, forwarded and printed, so don’t send or say anything you wouldn’t want repeated or posted in your company newsletter.
- Sloppy email. It pays to check before you click. Before you hit the “send” button, check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Take an extra minute or two to proofread, or read your email aloud to be sure that it says what you want it to say.
- Joke email. A funny email may seem innocent but it may be insulting to someone else. Email messages that are hostile, harassing or carry discriminatory overtones are permanent and may be forwarded to others without your knowledge.
- Loooong email. Keep it short. If possible, put your full message in the subject line. For example, “Can we meet this afternoon to go over budgets?” then finish the sentence with (EOM), the acronym for “end of message.” The recipient won’t need to open the message to respond. Use acronyms only when your recipients know their meaning.
- Buddy-buddy email. It’s better to be more formal than too casual when you want to make a good impression. Use a person’s surname until they respond by signing their email with their first name. This generally indicates that they don’t mind being addressed more casually.
- Congratulatory email. A congratulatory email doesn’t have the same impact as a personal thank you note, no matter how many people you copy on the message. Besides, most people cherish typed or handwritten notes versus an email message.
- Over-shared email. There will be times when you need to deliver an email to a large group but don’t want to launch a massive distribution list by emailing everyone together. If the recipients are unacquainted and you don’t want to divulge all addresses to all of the recipients, use the “bcc” or blind carbon copy function. When bcc is used, the only other email address that appears in the recipient’s mailbox is the sender’s.
- Oops email. If you receive an email that was sent to a multitude of people, including yourself, reply only to those who require a response. Hit “reply all” only if it is crucial that every person on the distribution list see your response. In many instances, the sender is the only person who requires a response.
- Moody email. Never send an email when angry. Take time to cool down and re-read email before sending to be sure messages don’t contain anything you will regret later.
Related Posts
Mistakes that Could Get You FiredEver Been Fired? How to Answer This One!
Tips to Avoid Job Search Time Wasters: Part 1
What to Avoid on LinkedIn
Tips for Improving Your Networking
Categories: Career Advice, College Graduates, Featured Articles, Human Resource News, Job Market, Social Media, Why ResumeBear?
Tags:
Once again, you rock the insights…
jRuth Kelly recently posted..The Ultimate Initiation…
Very sound tips, as usual! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Bob. I always keep my work and personal emails separated.
Nicolas Liu recently posted..Top 10 Tricks for Getting Better Sleep
Some great guidelines for ANYONE sending e-mail!
Great ideas for anyone who is sending an email, self-employed too
Anne Thomas recently posted..January Recipes & Specials from Anne Thomas
Very good tips in your post! Just missing the ‘never to send a corporate e-mail after a few drinks’.
Ernie Arias recently posted..Skills, Motivation and Attitude: Which is the most important?
It’s the general rule of the compuer age – ‘Think!’ before you click Send, Submit or Post!
We’ve all F***ed Up, though, haven’t we? Oops! S**t! Sorry!
Simon recently posted..Real Madrid v FC Barcelona Clásico Statistics
I like to wait for at least 30 minutes before sending after doing something completely different. Rereading the email, especially with your ‘tips’ in mind has in the past corrected numerous errors and had me delete emails too. Thank you Bob!
Michael Eisbrener recently posted..The Way Through
Moody email sometimes happens..yes
Really interesting article. Thank you Bob!
Glad to see my number one rule is confirmed. Always take time to respond when you get difficult email. It is like, “think before you speak”.
You may know the proverb:
“Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity.”
Email, being a combination of words aimed into the atmostphere like a series of sped arrows, is a particularly dangerous means of communication!
Laura Sykes recently posted..The Dowager Countess of Grantham Invites the Primate to Tea
Very good. Sounds similar to the 7 C in communications.
Excelent article.
Congratulations.
Purgly recently posted..Ginastica Laboral
You’re right. I’ll follow your advice. Thank you so so much !
Excellent. There is a question over on Quora that addresses this very issue. Will paste a link to your post. This is just the advice he was looking for.
Judy Kavanaugh recently posted..Sipping the Ocean through a straw
First, David Cox should have been fired, perhaps long before he even sent the email.
Second, great advice to make use of, not only in email from work but in all email you send out.
Gary Gile recently posted..What will 2012 Bring?
My business certainly couldn’t function without email these days. Great article btw!
Great article! Thanks for the tips
Thanks for the tips!!! Working for a Staffing Solutions and Staffing Services company it is very important to implement good email etiquette. By using proper email language you and your company will convey a professional image.
http://staffing-solutions.biz/contract-recruiters.html
Ahoy Bob,
Great email advice. My solution to this problem is not having a JOB in the first place!
CaptRob
Sage advice. Always true for the corporate camps but now even more true for the SMB market.
Don’t hit send until you review in painstaking detail.
Good stuff!
One trick I use is to write emails when mad is to write the email and then delete it and write what I really need to say.
Good advice Bob. Thanks
love you list posts bob – thankyou
Number one is many times confused because some people are under the impression that words in all caps are for emphasis.
Karla Campos recently posted..Looking for a job? Hiring? Join Our Virtual Job Fair Event!
How true that a funny email may seem innocent but it may be insulting to someone else. Someone at our local JC almost got fired over one of these emails recently. Some times sensitivity and common sense do not rule what we do. I like the point about not sending anything written while angry. Give it a break first and read it later to be sure what you really want to do.
Definitely have to keep everything professional or it could easily come back to haunt you.
Max M. recently posted..Entourage
All good advice!
Steve Hall recently posted..Welcome to This Is Spain
We tell our employees that the email is public information. It is also archived even after they delete it. They don’t listen and we have had major problems the past 11 years.
thanks for the tips!
Best to assume that any email you send could end up in the wrong In box.
Mitch Devine recently posted..The Day the Internet Went Dark
Take company email seriously; keep it professional. For special issues, such as a letter of resignation, take time to consider what is being said, and say no more that what is absolutely necessary.
As much a possible use your own time and equipment for personal matters.
Louis recently posted..Easy Vegetarian Recipes : TreeHugger
A great cure for “Foot in Mouth” disease
This is good advice, regardless of whether you are working at an office or working from home.
Susan Critelli recently posted..Twitter Tip #6 – Use Twitter to Direct Traffic
I’ve never understood the tendency of some people to treat business email differently than a typed business letter. I’ve always considered them the same…. Salutation “Dear ______: “, line space, line space between paragraphs, closing “Sincerely,” or “Warmest Regards,”, space, Name, Title. Grammar & Spell Check. Send. Sloppy or poorly formatted emails, “Shouting” as the author describes, bad spelling, overly-personal comments, etc. is unprofessional and quite frankly, disrespectful. Keep it professional.
David Burke recently posted..Rules for Fools
Sound advice for the workplace and personal correspondence.
Good advice and reminders. “A rule of basic etiquette is to avoiding sending email when angry”. You would think common sense would tell you that one.