...to tell them to stop this?

[GilChesterton12]

I manage a department in a large company - have been in the job for a couple of years now and am struggling with the email etiquette of one of my direct reports. Basically, she copies me into EVERY single email she sends, regardless of if there is anything I need to do with it or not.

I get copied into email trails between her and her own team, I get blind copied if the email is external, and on and on. My inbox is generally ridiculous even without all these additional emails. I literally don't have time to look at them all.

I might understand if this was a new start, but she is more experienced and has been with the company far longer than me. I have tried to encourage and empower my team, but aibu to tell her just to knock it off? Am I just sh*t at setting boundaries?

Have you ever asked her why she feels the need for you to see her emails or told her it’s unnecessary?

Have you never just given her guidelines for when to include you and when not to?

We haven't discussed it yet. I thought I could live with if but it's gotten ridiculous. We have a 1-to-1 coming up this week where I will have to address it and am just considering how.

We’ll the yes - you are a bit shit at setting boundaries.

just let her know you trust her communication skills so these are the cases when you’d be liked to be ccd but other than that there is no need. Be sure to stick to that boundary and redirect her immediately if she doesn’t follow it.

Just tell her to stop it! It's a perfectly reasonable thing to tell your direct report. Tell her you're confident that she knows what she's doing (presumably she does) and there's no need to copy you in unless... then spell out situations in which she should. I can understand why it irritates you, it would me as well.

Stop making it a bigger deal than it is. Just tell her.

Set up a rule that sends all her
Mails to a folder set up for the purpose.

This is a terrible idea. Don’t do this.

I would raise it at a 1-2-1 and tell her that she doesn't need to copy you into everything, explain it's making your inbox unmanageable and you are unable to prioritise which emails from her really do need your attention. Spell out that out only need emails that require an action from you.

If it continues start replying to the emails:
'was this meant for me?'
'is there anything I need to action here?'
'why am I copied into this?'

Good grief, why make such a meal out of it.

Just reply to her next one - to her only...

Hi x,
I've noticed you're copying me into your emails, like the one below. I just wanted to clarify that you only need to cc me in if there's something I directly need to be involved in.
If you could keep the cc's to just the absolute essentials that would be great as my inbox is a bit crazy at the best of times! Happy to chat through in your 1:1 next week if you'd like.
Thanks
X

Don't overtime it OP. Next time she does it, just respond to her saying, "looks like you've got it handled. There's no need to copy me on these routine emails."

I did this when I was first in an admin job. My poor boss sent me a response just like the one above and that knocked it on the head.

I meant overthink not overtime. But don't overtime it either!

In your 1-2-1 I would tell her you trust her judgement so there is no need to copy you in unless there is an issue that involves or requires a senior management decision. If she continues to do it then I would ask her why she feels she needs to - she may have had a bad experience before and now covers her ass.

This is a terrible idea. Don’t do this.

Why is that such a terrible idea?