I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: email etiquette is hugely important!
Just ask New Zealand office worker Vicki Walker, who was fired from her accounting job for sending “shouty” emails, the Telegraph reports.
Walker apparently used all block capitals in her emails, along with phrases that were bolded or highlighted in red. Her co-workers called this behavior “provocative” and “confrontational,” and blamed her for spreading ill will in the office.
Fortunately for Walker, her company had no clearly stated email code of conduct, and a tribunal awarded her £7,000 as compensation for being unfairly dismissed.
Still, there’s a lesson in this for all of us. How we communicate via email speaks volumes about our professional image. Opting for all lower-case letters looks sloppy and overly informal; all caps is shouty. You may need to draw attention to important messages by bolding key phrases, but use this sparingly. And always, always, always check your spelling and avoid childish acronyms like LOL or emoticons.