As more staff are having less face-to-face contact with colleagues as a large proportion of staff work from home during the current lockdown restrictions, there is a greater reliance on email to deliver information.

While email can be an efficient way of sharing information with colleagues, we can also take care to use it with consideration.

World Kindness Day, today (13 November), is an opportunity to reflect on our use of email.

Sharon Neal, Assistant Director of Culture and Inclusion, said: “In our Dignity and Respect Champions’ network meetings, where we reflect on what we are hearing from those who contact us, the issue of emails has come up as an area we could improve on as an organisation. The Dignity and Respect Champions would like to share these thoughts, based on their recent experience of working with colleagues.

“The tone we think we have used in an email may not be the tone that is heard by the receiver, for example. Copying in too many others increases the volume of emails in their inboxes and can add to workload pressures. And copying in senior colleagues in a message that criticises or points out a perceived failing can be undermining and damage working relationships.

“When we are busy it is easy and tempting to send an email in haste. Messages that may be difficult for a receiver to hear need additional time to write and are worth a period of reflection before sending.

“And how can we make good use of the other tools that are available to us – a phone call or an online meeting perhaps, to achieve that personal connection that makes a positive difference to our collaborative culture here at Sussex?”

Some things to consider:

• Is an email the best way to help the receivers?
• Who really needs to be copied in? Save the workload of those who don’t need to know.
• If it’s a challenging message, how can you share it in person?
• Your tone and language – check that you are showing respect and kindness for others in your email messages 
• The time the email is sent – be mindful that sending email outside usual working hours can be seen as setting an expectation that the receiver will act
• Think before replying – if a message has provoked an emotional response in you, then take time to reflect and come back to a response before sending
• Should an email be forwarded? There may be sensitive information which is not appropriate to be shared with a wider audience
• And importantly, don’t underestimate the value of sending an appreciative email

There is further good practice guidance about how email should be used for effective communication.

You can find out more about our Dignity and Respect policy and the Dignity and Respect champions.