Sometimes we say things that are mean, incorrect or lead to a misunderstanding which makes us regret saying them. These things don’t give a good feeling when they are spoken but hit like a rock when they are said in an email. It is a breach that is toughest to repair. While talking to a person, it is easier to get disapproval of a policy or a joke at coworker’s expense, but it comes to email the meanings can be misunderstood very fast. Personal email is the property of the company and writing things in an email is like preserving them forever. Therefore you should never write things in an email that may haunt you for the rest of your life.

According to experts, following are the things that must never be discussed in a work email.

Gossips:

Gossiping in an email can bring serious impacts on your professional relationships. No matter it’s the detail of a cup of coffee that that prevented you from a coworker or an assumption circulating in the office, you should never ever discuss it in an email with any other person.

Performance:

In an email, even positive comments can be sometimes misinterpreted. Unless you are responsible for drafting a performance report for HR, never discuss your coworkers’ performances in your email.

Unsolicited advice:

You don’t want to be treated like an office troll, so do not give unsolicited advice to a colleague’s meeting request, or give any feedback. It is because the unsolicited suggestions are not liked by people. However, you can ask them in writing if they want to have a feedback for their work.

Sensitive topics:

There are some topics that need only to be discussed in person or at least over a video call. You can video call and discuss the matters. But it is best to have a face-to-face conversation for discussions on asking for a raise, performance reviews, or work schedule.

Criticism:

You should never use email for taking out an issue with the company. Your comments become part of the public domain when you write them in an email therefore if you want to reprimand someone it is better to push for an in-person meeting.

Via: Business Insider