Email etiquette at work

[damekindness]

When emailing at work to the in-house team I tend to start with Hello {first name} because it sounds open and friendly .

Rarely a Dear {first name} if it's something formal like performance management type things or I'm being passive aggressive

To external people its a Dear until I get to know them and then it seems too formal

The one thing that does set my teeth on edge is when people begin their emails with just the persons first name as in...

Doris,

Further to our meeting this morning,,,

AIBU to think that appears brusque or rude?

It is brusque and rude, I completely agreed.
Also
Kind regards = genuinely friendly
Regards = passive aggressive
KR = height of rudeness and arrogance

Completely *agree

Yes agreed about Doris. Very rude and agressive

I dislike it. Rude.

You're putting too much thought into this. It's not rude or brusque to omit meaningless pleasantries.

IME it’s something people do to people they see as subordinate, but not to people to they see as above them.

Yep, one of my pet peeves!!! Like you're too busy to even write 'hi'. Also can't stand it when people just write one line without any hi or bye in response to a full email (as opposed to having a bit of a convo over email).

What do people think about smiley's on work emails? I do it to colleagues if I think the tone of my email is coming across bossy. Obviously not to high up managers etc, just colleagues.

Not sure I agree, many people where I am start with just the name. So for example I had to email a board member yesterday - Dear Mark sounded too formal in the context whereas Hello Mark sounds too informal and inappropriate so just Mark it was.

@MummyToBe89 be careful with the smileys because if you’re email is bossy or critical it will come across as sarcastic. IMHO smileys have no place in a professional email

Emails are intended to be a brief informal form of communication. They should be snappy and short. To the point. (work wise).

I only encountered the 'Doris' approach once I started having contact with really senior folk - I initially found it rude and diminishing, but then realised they're just focussed on the task at hand and so get to the point straight away (in their whole email, not just the greeting). Don't get hung up about it, it's not about you.

Also as a PP said - sometimes it's the best opener, when 'Dear' is too formal and 'Hi' too informal - it's entirely neutral.

@FanjoFizz I see what you mean, if it's a formal email I wouldn't use them, but if it's a back and forth email conversation I may throw a smiley in there. If I receive one back I know it's helped with the tone of the conversation.

I disagree. To me, Dear is quite personal, so for friends and family. Ive no issues with just a first name, or Hi xx. Also no issues with no greeting at all, makes it more like a conversation.

Smileys though, definitely not. Really annoying in a work context, I find it very unprofessional.

"Kind Regards" is ghastly and sets my teeth on edge - it sounds like a sketch from Miranda. I've banned employees from using it :-)

Agree, name only is rude and condescending. Like you are speaking firmly to a child. There is nothing informal about hi or hello, it’s just polite!

I put "good morning/afternoon person's name" if I'm beginning an email trail for reporting, multiple recipients or an external contact. If it's a "would you mind doing x so I can do y" then I usually go for Hi as I'm probably in fairly regular contact with the person anyway.

I have started editing out waffling apologies when I ask someone to do their job. No "so sorry, would you just mind checking if you have time" it's always "hi person, could you please look at x as the supplier is keen to be updated".

I dislike "Doris" from colleagues and my immediate manager (in manager's case she always says Hi..) but when I email the Director or AD I get
"Seren,
Approved.
Steve"

Yet "Steve" is friendly and approachable, he's just very busy.

I think either is fine to be honest.
People don't tend to worry about too much whether it begins with Dear or Hello.
Just don't make the mistake of automatically adding a xx after your name like I once did .

I get;

Shuyler,
Please can you send the spreadsheet.
Regards,
Line manager

She is very formal in emails but super friendly and very approachable, teases us and joins in with any jokes etc. I know it’s just her way but if I didn’t know her, I’d think she was a bit harsh.

I always say kind Regards when I mean it.

HTH HAND

Oh christ I really can't get worked up about whether someone says hi Doris/hello Doris/Dear Doris or just Doris.

The content and context of the email will be what matters, and how I reply.

I also end email requests with a "thanks in advance" so I don't get into that ridiculous "thank you"/"you're welcome" email tennis.

I’ve had a few emails recently signed off with ‘Rgds’. It seems typing ‘kind regards’ is too time consuming these days.

I’m mystified by the dislike of putting KR as an abbreviation for kind regards. When I worked in the NHS, some of my most caring and likeable doctor and dentist colleagues used it.
We were all busy with more important clinical work, so anything that shortened the time wasted doing admin rubbish (like typing emails) was welcomed!