August 24, 2010
Inappropriate emails have led to 5% of UK employees being fired or reprimanded by their employers, according to a new survey.
Since the early 1990’s internet boom, emails have changed the face of business and are now a daily activity for almost the entirety of the UK’s workforce.
Yet, despite being regularly used, one in five employees admit to sending an inappropriate email in the heat of the moment, while 31% admit they have hit “reply all” by accident several times.
The survey, commissioned on behalf of Terry Pratchet’s adaptation of the famous novel Going Postal, found that 13% of employees have mistakenly sent an insulting email to a colleague by accident, usually resulting in severe consequences.
Out of the 2,000 people surveyed, men were more likely to make an email gaffe than their female counterparts, with 2% admitting to blunders, compared to 17% of women, and nearly 50% of staff claim they no longer use traditional letters as correspondence, meaning faux pas could increase.
With the country still undergoing time of economic strife, keeping a job and the regular pay cheques which follow has become more important than ever.
To avoid losing the security that comes with employment, make sure your double-check recipients and email content before hovering your mouse over the send button.
