Sent an email with God Bless as a sign off

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

I wasn't sure where to put this.

I've just received a work related email from an outside organisation with some very useful contacts and project opportunities.

The author signed off as stated in the subject line. I don't care one way or another and shall follow up as usual.

I've never seen a work email signed off in this way. Would you think it not really the right thing to do? I can imagine someone somewhere would complain if they were petty enough.

So it's not me being unreasonable but do you think the sender is? It doesn't bother me, would it you?

Well I don't know if the individual is religious. I would guess so from the sign off. It's someone who has contacted me from an industrial organisation offering student projects, not a church or anything like that, and I don't have any prior dealings with them. I'm following up as I would any other and there will be no religious talk.

As I said, it doesn't bother me. Though in light of stories about doctors and nurses being reported for saying they will pray for patients, staff being dobbed in for wearing a cross at work, it made me think, would this happen eventually?

I get this a lot in emails, not a religious org but work with lots of different cultures and in some of them it’s standard. Has nothing to do with how professional they are.
its not something I can get worked up about tbh

Personally, I think it highly inappropriate and would think less of the sender for it.

Unless, as others have said, they work for a religious organisation.

Being offended on behalf of others is what causes half the bloody problems. If someone in a work capacity finds it offensive they can use their words & deal with it, they don't need others getting offended on their behalf.

Wouldn't bother me. No harm in it is there.

Had an e-mail before, professional capacity and the sign off was

"Enter goodbye/ending message here"
Mike

He'd clearly not amended the signature template, and was just rolling with that 😂 he used it for about 6months before someone told him.

Why on earth would either of you think that? I've given no indication that I have a problem with anything, and as the email is to me, nobody else is going to see it to take it up with anyone. This was not the spirit of my post at all.

As for what I think about holidays, Christmas is Christmas. Easter is Easter. New Year's Eve is that (unless you're Scottish), Halloween, Pancake Tuesday, Beltane, Guy Fawkes' Night, summer solstice, autumn equinox, Groundhog Day, Hanukkah, Diwali - are all exactly that.

It wouldn’t offend me in any way but I’d find it a little bit odd, unless their job was religious in some way (eg previous example of chaplain).
To me, religion, like politics, is very personal, so it feels a bit over sharey - a bit like posting ‘up the revolution’ or ‘meat is murder’.
Each to their own and I like people who stand by their convictions, so I’d quietly admire them but also feel like I didn’t need to know that professionally.

Are you offended because someone else had 'his bless' in their email sign off?

Report to their boss, tell them you're mortally offended and will be ending your professional relationship with them..

Or are their opportunities and contacts worth more than an email sign off?

Try reading the OP again. (I'm assuming you mean me and aren't replying to a PP) I've no clue what you even mean.

You didn’t include Valentine’s Day. I’m offended. God bless.

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron
I had a supplier who used to quote bits of the bible to me in emails, and would offer to pray for me if he knew I had something tricky going on. I’m not religious in the slightest but it honestly didn’t bother me - but I think you’re right, there’s bound to be someone out there who would take offence and complain.

You need to stop read the right wing press. 😂

Imagine if you could just sign off emails truthfully:

"Irritated and tired"
"Hangry and bored"
"Hungover and gloomy"

You mean the left wing press.

Had this recently on an email reply to an enquiry to my electricity supplier. The sender also called me by my first name even though I hadn’t signed off with it in my message.
I was a bit bemused by the god bless and overall impression of the email so asked if it was company policy to be so informal. I thought it was somewhat inappropriate to use a religious sign off on a professional email but wasn’t hugely bothered but was slightly more bothered about the use of my first name when I hadn’t invited that (and am not known by my given name anyway).

I wasn’t sure if I was being unreasonable and was left feeling bemused. When I mentioned the god bless sign off to work colleagues they burst out laughing and agreed it wasn’t very professional.

I've seen it only a handful of times, never thought much of it really. I read hundreds of emails per work day and you do notice the ones that aren't 'kind regards' or 'best wishes'. We once had a Cornish phrase for take care or similar which I had to Google, made me smile.

I have a senior manager who signs off his emails with 'Peace out' absolutely infuriates me but I'm not sure why, I'd take god bless over that any day.

I'd be slightly surprised and i guess it depends on the organisation but I wouldn't be bothered. I think it'd quite endearing

I'd have no problem with it.
I'd certainly notice it but it's friendly. Yes, it's different but it's well-intended and nobody's died.
I just don't think I'd give it much thought, to be honest.

Well, I can only speak for my organisation but we're being encouraged to 'bringing our whole selves to work' these days.

Statements of faith in signatures is no different to stating pronouns.

Personally 'Kind regards, Groggy' does the job for me.

who cares, it’s friendly and nice sounding. Why get offended over someone else possibly getting offended?

Hiw is it any different to someone signing off she/her or ze/zer

Woke alert. Woke alert.

Ooooh now there's a thought!

I think it's fine and actually quite lovely.

This person could be from an area or background where this is simply an expression. My family from SE London are not particularly religious but would say God bless at the end of phone calls or when saying goodbye. No idea if this is just a London thing but I can imagine the accent it's said in even (obvs not when typed!). I would take it as more of a cultural marker than anything else.

What's unprofessional about spreading blessing and positivity? If only more people did that.