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Manage your message time; Practice good e-mail etiquette at work

By Valerie Anderson, Source: Tribune Media Services

For most employees, the workday is spent in front of a computer. Communication with co-workers and clients means jotting off an e-mail rather than picking up the phone. E-mail makes communication lightening fast, but it can lead to sloppy writing and misunderstandings. Plus, having your account open all day creates the temptation to e-mail friends and family instead of doing your job. So, what’s the proper protocol for using e-mail while at work?

“Time spent doing personal e-mails on company time is theft of time, so don’t do it,” says Carol Gillam, attorney and founder of Gillam Law Firm in Los Angeles, who adds that the company can easily read those e-mails.

San Diego Employment Attorney of Dearn Law Group and CEO of the legal Web site GoodSharks.com, Alicia Dearn is a little more lenient.

“It’s OK to send personal e-mails, as long as you do so within the parameters of good judgment,” she says. “If you want to send things that are not suitable for work, however, save those e-mails for when you are at home, on your own computer, and using your personal e-mail account.”

Your time

What if you’re at work and you get an e-mail from your husband about what time you need to pick up your daughter from daycare? Is it all right to fire back a quick e-mail response? Gillam advises employees to use ways of communicating that aren’t as easy for your employer to track.

“Most people today have a personal phone that allows them to send and receive text messages,” she says. “That is one way to communicate on personal matters that employers aren’t likely to see, unless, of course, the boss catches you texting on your personal phone when you should be working.”

Being “caught” by your boss is easy enough to avoid as well, since in practice and by law, employees should receive rest breaks every four hours and at least 30 minutes for meal breaks, Gillam explains.

“That’s enough time to deal with personal things during the workday,” she says.

Check, check and recheck

Personal e-mails are just one small way employees use e-mail while at work. It’s the go-to form of communication in the workplace. Even with co-workers a few feet away, e-mail is often used in the place of face-to-face communication. Still, many people view it as a casual form of writing and don’t think it’s necessary to spell check or proofread. Spelling and grammatical errors might be overlooked when you’re jotting off a quick note to a co-worker, but they become a serious issue when you’re e-mailing clients.

“While it’s very convenient to e-mail instead of writing a letter, the standards really should be the same, especially if you are dealing with managers, clients of the employer, and vendors,” says Gillam. “Spending a few extra minutes to carefully read through an e-mail before hitting the ‘send’ key will really pay off.”

Dearn agrees.

“Always take a minute to re-read correspondence before you send it. Make sure that the tone and intended message are correctly portrayed,” she says.

Correct tone is an important issue when it comes to sensitive e-mails, believes Carl Wellenstein, author of “12 Steps to a New Career” (Career Press, $16.99). In fact, Wellenstein says e-mail is a poor way to communicate sensitive or complex issues or to deal with conflict because it often creates confusion and can unintentionally make situations worse.

“Have those conversations by phone or face to face,” he says. “But when e-mail is necessary, be careful not to criticize something or someone without offering a solution. Suggest a possible way to overcome the problem or suggest how to deal more effectively with it.”

Keeping it brief is also important. Remember, everyone is busy and chances are they are only going to scan your e-mail, so the first few sentences are the most important.

“Try to express yourself in two sentences or less,” Gillam advises. “It won’t always be possible, but making the effort should focus your thinking on how best to convey the message you want to send out.”

She also advises reading books on improving your writing skills.

“Never stop learning!” she says.

Dearn adds that sometimes you need to turn off your computer and have a chat with your co-workers.

“Pick up the phone or walk the 10 steps to someone’s office to answer questions or engage in a conversation that will require back and forth,” she says. “Often it will be faster, and it will get you noticed as a team player.”

© 2010, Tribune Media Services