Can you kindly do X/This is a polite request to do Y

[ValerieCupcake]

AIBU to think that this is not kind or polite but a passive-aggressive ticking off?

Like many things depends a lot of context but on the whole I can’t say it would bother me.

Depends on the context. It's "can colleagues kindly remember to clean up after themselves on the office kitchen?" then of course it's a ticking off aimed at slovenly workmates. If it's "can visitors kindly sanitise their hands upon entry to the ward?" then it really is just a polite notice.

agree with pp.

But also, if I was supposed to do xx task and haven't then my line manager is quite entitled to ask me to do it. Mine might use this wording, to nudge me nicely. I wouldn't see it as passive aggressive, just telling me to do it!

Depends on the context - a lot of south Asian countries teach this as the polite way to request something, so I wouldn’t be perturbed to see this, but from a European colleague I would bristle!

The school do it all the time. It's not a polite request.

In their defence, it's usually used when whatever it is they are "politely requesting" is something that either should just be a no brainer anyway (eg don't block our neighbours drive ways when dropping your children at school) or something they've asked parents 10000 times and are being ignored on. (although, I constantly feel they should question a process that is so difficult to implement we're getting roughy 2 emails a week on the subject...)

I only really use this when someone's dropped the ball and not done something and it would be rude of me to say "Could you actually do what you were supposed to" - so yes, I suppose in that case it is a passive aggressive bollocking.

But I could see how it would be polite.

Depends on context

Like PP said context is important.

Not as bad as "gentle reminder".

I fucking despise that. So twee and feathery-floaty.

It's not passive-aggressive. It's a firm instruction from authority.

So no context OP?

@KatherineJaneway

So no context OP?

Not really. Not tied to a specific incident. I've seen it a lot in emails. I think it looks old-fashioned. It's not always coming from 'senior' people either. I just don't like it.

It's only a passive-agressive ticking off if X or Y are things that the people being addressed know full well that they are supposed to do anyway but don't reliably do so. If the people being addressed might not necessarily know that X or Y are the common practice in this location then it's a perfectly reasonable way to phrase the request.

If i am unable to complete something at work because I'm waiting for someone to have done their bit, and it's a bit overdue from them, I'll "kindly request their speedy action" especially if they are above me in the food chain. I will also give them a latest time i need it before the work goes tits up.

If it's something like hand-sanitising on the way in somewhere? it's just a gentle request, they really want you to do it but don't want to sound as though they're barking orders.

I worked with a lot of east Asians in the past. If you "kindly request" they feel that as a strong push, due to their culture generally not liking anyone to use the word "no". So it's just a fairly hard shove at them to make them do what you need them to do without being all shouty and German* about it.

my examples usually Germans and Chinese. Germans don't usually sugar coat, it's not rude in German it's efficient. The Chinese factory would never ever say either "no" or "can't be done" or "can't deliver on time" they would waffle round the houses and it could get infuriating. We had a lot* of "intercultural communication workshops"

What happened before this was said?! Has the person involved failed to do something clearly necessary or obviously a no-brainier?

@CoalCraft

Depends on the context. It's "can colleagues kindly remember to clean up after themselves on the office kitchen?" then of course it's a ticking off aimed at slovenly workmates. If it's "can visitors kindly sanitise their hands upon entry to the ward?" then it really is just a polite notice.

Neither of those make grammatical sense really. I'm not going to remember kindly. I'm either going to remember or not. Equally, I'm not going to use the hand sanitiser in a kind way.

Just make the request. Adding "kindly" in is an attempt to sound like it is a "gentle" reminder but really, it either comes across as you (the general you, not you specifically) are PA or don't understand grammar.

If you really want to ask gently you can use the really, really irritating "this is a gentle reminder to do x". Or "this is a reminder that hands must be sanitised. Thank you for your co-operation."

@EishetChayil

Not as bad as "gentle reminder".

I fucking despise that. So twee and feathery-floaty.

Yes. It's never gentle and I usually end up shouting at my phone/computer/whatever. Obviously I don't shout at the person.

Kindly is used so spuriously.

I was on a webchat to M&S customer services and the person used it in every single sentence even when it made no sense at all. “Thank you for kindly giving me the details”.

Not as bad as "gentle reminder".

i have to collect monthly returns. So on 1st i send a "pls send..." to everyone.
I get about 6 from 200
7 days later - gentle reminder - i get another 10
14 days later - reminder - probably gets me a total of 40
21 days later - I SAID SEND THEM SEND THEM NOW. At which point they start moaning to my boss that I'm agressive
28 days later - i just send a shitlist to everyone, including the partners responsible for the teams. So everyone knows who the twats are