What do you make of this email response

[Yikitty]

Email sent by newish member of staff to senior staff member - 4 others cc’d in

Reasonable run of the mill email - enquiring about confirming a date. Email first line is “I hope you are well”

response:

”You don’t need to ask me if I am well every-time you email me unless you know something I don’t. Yes”

It is rude but unless i haven't seen or spoken to a colleague for quite a while (several weeks) I wouldn't use this phrase for an internal email.

I find it too formal and it actually says nothing.

That’s hilariously blunt. I find those things on emails so pointless and never write them myself, but she could have phrased the request for streamlining the emails a lot nicer.

Senior person shouldn't say anything in the cc'd email; just respond as if it wasn't said. This is best handled by the colleague's direct manager.

If I were senior person, I would forward to their LM and say something to the effect that, while I appreciated the intention was to make emails more concise/save time, and this was valid, the style of communicating this was unprofessional and the colleague's manager should have a chat with them about the need to make sure their emails maintain a professional tone.

If the sender is seriously interested in shortening emails, there are ways they could go about it - I would start with a poll asking whether people appreciate 'hope you are well' etc. at the start of emails, and if the majority don't like this style of communication, the sender could produce suggested guidelines for emails citing actual evidence.

Noted.

You arrogant arse.

Extremely rude and highly unprofessional to respond like that. There are email phrases I dont particularly enjoy either but I wouldnt snap back like a total bitch just to make that person feel small.

It's also very unwise. That could end up being seen by her manager or the CEO or she may end up wanting a favour from that person later on down the line. I have learnt that you never, ever burn bridges because I have seen many people come to grief as a result of doing that and humble pie is never pleasant to eat.

I'd love to start every email to the perpetrator 'hope this email finds you with a healthy dose of the shits/syphilis/acne on your arse/gout/itchy cock or fanny/toenail fungus etc.

I probably wouldn't, until my last day... 😂

I’d be a bit mortified if I was the staff member but I’d just move on. It sounds like it might be meant in a jokey way. It’s also unnecessary to keep saying this (their opening line) to people you email often within your organisation. I might say something like it to someone I emailed rarely and didn’t know well.

I wouldn't respond in such a rude way, but, I have never started any business letter or email by asking if the recipient is well.
I've always been polite but think that the purpose of the communication is to either give information or request it. Nothing else is necessary, apart from thanks for their assistance.

Both rude and inaccurate as "I hope you are well" is a statement not a question. I only get annoyed by it when accompanied by a question mark.

Sorry, just realised I may have misunderstood the OP - was it senior person who made the snide comment? Very poor form if so.

I usually start an email with a pleasantry. Eg hope you’re enjoying the sunshine, hope you had a nice weekend or something equally bland. If it’s someone I’ve known for years and speak to often I might say something I know about them like, hope the baby’s sleeping, or how was the gig, referencing. Previous convo.

I think this person was really rude. I’m a bit confused by your op. Are they new or are you? Are they senior or are you?

I detest all pleasantries beyond 'Dear Mooncup', 'Morning' or 'Thank you for your email'. It's perfectly possible to be both polite and get to the point so it's visible on preview.

This is how I feel. Just get to the point. My last job in a charity however z everyone would have found it unspeakably rude if you didn't open with something nice. Drove me mad. The number of times I'd have an email drafted to send then have to go back to the beginning and add in an inane pleasantry... Such a waste of time.

However I would never reply to anyone that rudely and especially not a new or more junior member of staff, and cc'ing others. Total git.

A quiet word?! Right, course you would and the response from me would be how on earth does this cause you distress, I assume you don't have a busy job if you would have time for a quiet word. You read it and move it. What an odd thing to do

I'm sure it was around long before covid

I'd never respond like that as I don't care that much and it's also very rude, but..

Yes, it's such a pointless bit of boilerplate and I always just ignore it.

One of my colleagues emails me several times a week with a sentence of polite waffle and then few words containing the purpose of the email. I think she's just set it up as a signature.

I would definitely keep sending emails starting with "I hope you are well"..

There are gentler ways of getting their point across. I assume all the others cc'ed in are well used to such retorts.
If you are the newbie try to let it go.

("How are you?" Was standard before covid when "finds you well" "hope you are well" and variations started. I avoid as much as possible any preamble unless I know the recipient to employ such phrases themselves.)

That’s incredibly rude and totally unreasonable response, especially as most people open an email with a polite generic greeting.

having said that, the director of the department I work in screamed and sent an email to all demanding that no one ever send her a thank you email because she had 1000+ thank you emails clogging up her computer causing system crashes 😆 but that wasn’t at all personal or confrontational like this prick

@Gravystain

It was during a Pittman's course. Can't vouch for its quality but I can still touch type, so considered it one of the more worthwhile lessons at school!

i can kinda see where the reply is coming from. i assume the email was a normal run of the mill email about work etc? do you really need to know if your boss/colleague etc is well? its not a chit chat, you don't really want a reply saying something like 'actually i feel a bit rough today, my cat died and the dog was sick on the carpet' .. its just uncalled for.

i always sign off my emails with Kind Regards... its enough.

Don’t do this unless you want to look an even bigger dick than them. Just ignore and don’t do it again. They were extremely rude but I agree there’s no need for these phrases unless it’s someone you rarely correspond with.

Some people just love to be offended over nothing.

They could easily ignore the wishing them well and it being there doesn’t negatively impact them in any way but no instead they have to act offended 🙄

Does this person have form for things like this?

I couldn't care less about work emails, if someone asks me if I am well I know it's just a polite part of email culture.
Can't imagine getting incensed or otherwise. Very rude.
However the youth at my workplace sometimes start an email with Hey........
What!
I would still never care enough to comment even though I find it a bit too casual.