“Please advise” takes first place as the most passive aggressive email phrase, while “per my previous email” narrowly missed the cut for top 10.
LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2022— Recent data has uncovered how employees across the United States really perceive common phrases in workplace communication. Study findings from TollFreeForwarding.com revealed the top 10 most passive aggressive phrases commonly used in workplace emails.
Here are the top 10 most passive aggressive words and phrases used in workplace emails, ordered from most to least passive aggressive.
- “Please advise”
- “Kind regards”
- “Friendly reminder”
- “I look forward to hearing from you”
- “Pay attention”
- “Make sure”
- “Per our conversation”
- “Future reference”
- “ccing”
- “Going forward”
Additional passive aggressive phrases used workplace emails that did not make cut for top 10 include, “I would like to follow up on my previous email” and “per my previous email.”
Working with an expert, why are these phrases, that seem harmless on the surface, damaging our relationships in the workplace? Susan Room, a professional voice and executive coach, says assumptions, fear of failure, conflict-aversion and poor anger management are just some of the reasons people wage their personal vendettas via email.
“We send and receive over 306 billion emails every day. That’s because emailing is a quick, easy and efficient way to communicate—but it’s not always the best way. In fact, it can be the worst, especially if you have negative feelings about the recipient. When that happens, pick up the phone or meet to talk instead,” said The Business Voice Coach Susan Room.
