health
'Per my last email': how email incivility can affect us at work
Although it might seem like a minor irritant, the consequences of email incivility can be far-reaching
TL;DR
- A third of employees receive at least one rude email per day, a trend exacerbated by increased reliance on email for work.
- Email incivility can cause emotional wear and tear, leading to work rumination, anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
- Passive rudeness, such as being ignored, is linked to insomnia and uncertainty.
- Hostile emails can predict absenteeism, higher intentions to quit, and decreased helpfulness.
- The effects of email incivility can spill over into home life, stressing partners and affecting relationships.
- Factors contributing to rude emails include high-pressure work environments, personal traits like neuroticism, fatigue, and alcohol use.
- The psychological distance created by email makes it easier to forget the recipient's feelings, similar to road rage.
- Lack of non-verbal cues, tone, and context in emails can lead to misinterpretation of rudeness.
- Remote work amplifies misinterpretation due to reduced social connection and fewer opportunities for repairing misunderstandings.
- Women may be held to higher standards of politeness in written communication, with assertive emails perceived as rude.
- To combat email incivility, switch to live communication (phone or face-to-face), pause before replying, and interpret ambiguous emails generously.
- Organizations should foster positive climates, establish clear netiquette, limit after-hours emails, and implement reporting mechanisms for mistreatment.
- Managers should model desired communication behaviors, and phrases like 'per my last email' should be avoided as they can signal hostility.