2. EMAIL
Most common form of communication in the workplace
Your employer can access your work email if saved on the
company’s server(s)
Legal records (Guidelines, PG. 81-83)
Know:
Uses (PG. 131)
Business vs. Personal
Guidelines
3. EMAIL: BUINESS vs. PERSONAL
Cannot write to a customer or employer the way you would to
a friend
Representing more than just yourself and your preferences in
an email
Business email has to consider the impact it will have on your
company, et al.
Information may have to be researched
Review before sending
4. Email as Legal Records
Employers have the right to monitor internal email systems.
Any email written at work can be
copied, archived, forwarded, and intercepted.
You can be fired for writing an abusive or angry email!
Many companies may have disclaimers about email to
prevent legal action against the company
5. Guidelines for Using Email on the
Job
Make sure your email is confidential and ethical
Make sure your email is easy to read
Observe the rules of “netiquette”
Adopt a professional business style
Respect your international readers
Ensure that your email is safe and secure
6. When Not to Use Email
When you need a paper trail
Applying for a job
Make a new business contact, or welcome a new client –
Formal Letter instead
Acknowledging a business gift – Send a handwritten note
Never send email in the place of a letter or type of legal
notification.
8. Instant Messages (IM)
A professional IM is somewhere between a phone call and an
email, or a chat with a colleague in the hallway.
Provide written records of conversations
90% of businesses have or will use IMs
Allows communication with co-workers and managers in the
same office, remote sites or around the globe.
9. When to Use IM (vs. Email)
How quickly does the message need to be sent/received?
How long/complex is my message?
Does my message require more than a few brief back-and-
forth communications?
10. Guidelines for Using IM in the
Workplace
Stay connected
Keep messages short
Write about one topic at a time
Avoid unfamiliar abbreviations
Make sure messages are professional
Organize your contact (buddy) list into separate groups
Don’t use to send sensitive/confidential information
Watch for viruses
Safeguard the privacy of your contact list
LectureIndicate your status by message (Away, Busy, etc.) Give a time when returning or an alternate way of contact.Get to the point right away. Keep messages to 1-2 lines.Use groups, as not to send someone the wrong messageViruses: Watch for opening files or attachmentsInformation from Successful Writing at Work Concise 2nd edition and Concise 3rd edition.