Does anyone else feel invisible?

[Redsunrise]

Not necessarily physically but online I.e people not responding to e-mails at wirk?

No, not really. Nobody replies to your work emails? Is this a recent thing?

I get some replies but a large numbers are ignored. The approach appears to be if you don't like or not interested in the email it is ignored. Is that now normal?

Maybe because people feel like they can? Says a lot about them then you. Have you tried ringing them instead and mentioning you haven't received a reply or emailing them again?

What kind of emails?

Are people at your workplace overwhelmed? I recently left a job where I was being driven to burnout and got to the stage where I ignored non-vital emails because there was just no way to reply to them all.

@Redsunrise

I get some replies but a large numbers are ignored. The approach appears to be if you don't like or not interested in the email it is ignored. Is that now normal?

I think with working from home continuing people are just enormously overwhelmed. People are working more hours, projects are piling up and everyone's exhausted. Motivation and the adrenaline of all the change last year is at rock bottom. I wouldn't take it personally, OP. I think everyone is just tired now.

It drives me mad when people send uneccessary emails to be honest, I only reply to emails if there is something that it actually needed, regardless of who it's from

I am talking about emails that require an answer or emails suggesting solutions. Policy seems to be Ignore so people do not have to do anything. Of course it doesn't go away and without answers I can't do my job. So give it a while and the process starts again. Total waste of time.

It isn't just me who suffers from this issue. Also sounds like several of you experience it. Any other suggestions besides phoning?

Send another email saying I've not had any reply is everything okay?

Or in the initial email write I'll be awaiting a reply by the end of today (or what you expect). Sometimes you have to take a firmer approach if you're being messed around like that.

I have tried that believe me I have not been a pushover. Some important responses are months overdue. Yes management know. Nothing is done........

Thanks for all your responses I at least now know I have done everything possible to resolve things.

@Redsunrise

I am talking about emails that require an answer or emails suggesting solutions. Policy seems to be Ignore so people do not have to do anything. Of course it doesn't go away and without answers I can't do my job. So give it a while and the process starts again. Total waste of time.

It isn't just me who suffers from this issue. Also sounds like several of you experience it. Any other suggestions besides phoning?

You could do the old "if I don't hear from you by 5pm Friday I'll assume we'll proceed with X" lol. That usually gets a speedy response 😂

Do you work on special projects that eat into people's day-to-day jobs? If so, then a lot of such emails get ignored because they just add to people's workload and they don't get credit for it.

For special projects, it is important to get management buy in so in effect it is their boss telling them to participate in your project and yes, answer your emails. I don't know if this is the situation at play.

You could do the old "if I don't hear from you by 5pm Friday I'll assume we'll proceed with X" lol. That usually gets a speedy response

It can also get a very stroppy response if the person emailed is senior and so swamped with emails that it is not reasonable to put such time pressure.

How about asking for a meeting or when is a good time to call them to discuss? May be the only way to get an answer (however brief) from very busy people. I find senior management at my place prefer it too because you are there for them to ask questions on the spot and they are senior enough to give an immediate steer.

My company has meetings to discuss meetings to discuss meetings. I don't get a clear answer hence I ask for an email. They don't like to put things in writing.

If I say you said X at a meeting they would request a meeting to discuss it. The pattern continues.

Find a new job where people care? They a sound pathetic.

From your last post, it is not you, it is them.

Sounds like a bunch of ineffectual pisstakes and this has permeated the work culture. It is not in your power to change it. It is much easier to change jobs. Not your problem.

I currently am in back-to-back meetings from 8 until 6 every day. Literally have no time to read my emails until late at night. If people send me emails saying please respond by X it may just never get read. The displacement of work via the sending of an email was bad before the pandemic and it’s worse now. Just because you’ve sent an email doesn’t mean I’ve been able to read it, never mind actually had the couple of hours to do the piece of work you are suggesting I do on top of what’s already in my stack of work. That’s not a criticism of you, OP, it’s what happens in my workplace and lots of others.

If you really need it done quickly then a) pick up the phone and b) if they have a PA speak to them too.