Do you use @name in business emails?

[MagpiePi]

A colleague has started using @name tags in emails when someone needs to take an action.

It is really irritating me; everyone who gets '@named' is cc'd into the email and we are all professionals who (I assume) can read and understand when we are asked to do something. eg. "MagpiePi, can you let OtherColleague know when you've done a task"

Is this a thing now or is he just being even more of a bell end?

Bell end. I hate this too.
What's the point other if I'm already cc'ed... ?! only tools do this

...and he is such a massive tool.

This would really irritate me

I hate this. And I don't understand it, because if I read the email, you don't need to @ me because I'll see it anyway. And if you don't think I'm going to read it, the @ won't make a difference because I won't see it!

This is very common in our workplace. I think it's useful.

People are often CC'd for info only without having actions, so this allows you to very quickly see if you need to prioritise reading the email since there is a question or action in it that needs your attention (since you can see you have been tagged before you open it).

I get CCd in hundreds of emails and some will be left for hours/days if I presume them less urgent, so this helps to catch them.

I also have a tool-ish colleague who has started doing the same.. he has some other very irritating email habits too though, like using his name in the subject line of every email

How can you see you've been tagged before you open it?

That would irritate me, but is there any chance they spend most of their time communicating on Slack? If so that might just be what they're used to and their brain is on autopilot!

I think it’s getting commonplace
As a pp says it’s useful when copied into loads of emails (often not necessary but that’s a different issue 😡) you can see where you have specifically been meantioned which in most cases means an action do it’s handy

In my workplace no-one uses @name, but if someone gets an action, their name is in bold, which is basically the same thing.

It's a bit naff, but no biggie.

New (to us at least) version of outlook does this, and it can be quite handy for making sure all the relevant people are in the To/Cc box for the email.

Would it bother you if someone used your name without the @? If not, why does the @ bother you? You can adjust your settings so you don't get notified twice.

To see in your emails, in Outlook there is a field called mentioned / mention. I think that's where the @name gets tagged

@MagpiePi

How can you see you've been tagged before you open it?

You get a "@" in the little email preview list, at least in the version of Outlook we use.

I love it ... I can scan an email and it's super clear if I have an action or not!!

I hate having to read a narrative to determine if what I have read has any relevance to me.

I work in a corporate environment and have 500 emails a day of which 200 directly pertain to my role and/or have actions for me. Perhaps your perspective is determined by how you organisation feels it's best to work.

I think it's really handy. Makes everything clear and can easily skim read and spot if you have actions. Makes perfect sense to me.

I use it! Maybe I’m one of the annoying ‘tools’ being referred to.

I find it useful because it automatically makes sure anyone with an action is on the email list and means you can scan through quickly to see what actions there are, either what you have to do or who you have to work with on something.

I don’t see why it’s annoying?

So it does seem to be a thing.

Still seems to be pointless and wanky when the email has been sent to me, the other person who I need to collaborate with, and a group manager who probably doesn't need to know about the minutiae of my working day.

It's a thing in our company, I like it, it leaves no room for doubt. Nothing worse than an email saying can someone do this

This would annoy me but I find a lot people just don’t understand what CC is and the etiquette at all.

If I’m CCed into an email it’s for info only and I should have no actions. So I should read and file basically). The amount of times I’m CCed in and have an action is ridiculous. Just put me in the To: if I have an action.

*This would annoy me but I find a lot people just don’t understand what CC is and the etiquette at all.

If I’m CCed into an email it’s for info only and I should have no actions. So I should read and file basically). The amount of times I’m CCed in and have an action is ridiculous. Just put me in the To: if I have an action.*

This ^^

Hmm. @MagpiePi are you British? (I am for what it's worth).

I've worked globally for decades, and we have this weird thing in British culture where people never want to be told to do anything, especially in front of their peers.

It's almost like the line manager has to slip in the directives as subtly as possible, so that no one looks like they're being given an imperative.

With that in mind, what's the biggest challenge you have to being "@" in an email - is it

• the fact you are notified twice, or

• the perception you're being asked to do something in front of others

It gives clarity to all readers, especially when there are lots of e mails flying about.

I use it but only because in my company people frequently ignore emails and don't do their actions so it's best to make it as clear as possible so they can't just say they missed it 😡

@sst1234

It gives clarity to all readers, especially when there are lots of e mails flying about.

this!!

It's tough, but sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches.