Some emails aren’t meant to be sent.
When you work in Finance, you deal with quite a bit of private information. So you must understand that there is no such thing as a private email. Or a private text message either.
Anything you write potentially can take on a life of its own.
Emails to Regret
Don’t believe us?
Just ask the embarrassed people at Sony Pictures whose email server got hacked: Insults surfaced about Angelina Jolie (“minimally talented spoiled brat”) and Adam Sandler (“mundane, formulaic”), plus other personal health and identity information leaked out.
Still, finance pros might not be worried about getting hacked. So does a subpoena issued by a judge concern you?
Bridget Anne Kelly, former aide to a former New Jersey governor, got fired for “Bridgegate” when investigators got a look at her emails. And a high-profile FBI agent was fired for his politically fueled text uncovered in another investigation.
And texts from former NFL quarterback Tom Brady were a central focus of DeflateGate. He may have won his appeal, but he lost some of his public appeal.
Don’t End Up In Front Of A Judge
Almost 25% of companies have received subpoenas for email, according to a survey by the American Management Association. Another 15% report they’ve faced lawsuits triggered by something an employee or manager said in an email.
The best advice: Never put anything in an email or text you don’t want read aloud in court.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the nine things you don’t want to mention in an email or text:
1. Off-The-Cuff Bias Bloopers
Statements like, “I can’t believe she’s taking leave again,” and similar complaints about employees engaging in legally protected actions, could easily be construed as discriminatory. Even casual comments can come off as evidence of retaliation.
If the employee in question is ever disciplined or fired for a legitimate business reason, some email evidence can make it appear otherwise.
2. Time To Lawyer-Up?
Let’s say you recognize there’s a legal issue — for an email mistake or otherwise. The discussion about whether or not the company should hire a lawyer should be face-to-face, behind closed doors.
However, note that emails between you and a company lawyer are almost always covered by attorney-client privilege – until they’re forwarded to other people.
3. That Pain-In-The-Butt Employee
When you have to deal with what you call a pain-in-the-butt employee, it’s best to keep your thoughts and spoken words between you and the employee. Discussing their poor performance review via email could be interpreted as unfair bias. Also, email shouldn’t be used as a way to avoid difficult conversations.
Given how easily written messages can be misinterpreted, talk face-to-face with the employee. Include HR, if you have concerns, and have them document it.
4. ‘I Want A Raise!’
There’s no such thing as a secret sent via email.
If you’re talking about highly sensitive topics like salary, bonuses or promotions, do it in person. That goes both ways … if it’s about your money or position or an employee’s money or position.
5. A Supposed Joke
Sending offensive content is incredibly common because people don’t recognize it’s offensive. They send it because they think it’s funny, but others don’t see any humor. It’s also a good way to land you and your company in legal trouble.
Even if you forward something that seems harmless, you risk someone else taking it in a very different way. Remember that if it isn’t work-related, it has no business at work. So don’t pass it on.
6. Suspicious-Sounding Language
Never use phrases like “Delete this email,” and “I probably shouldn’t be emailing this.” You know why? Because if you recognize it doesn’t belong out there, you’re right.
Email can’t really ever be erased, and sensitive legal issues should wait for an in-person discussion.
7. Personal Or Medical Info
It’s not a good idea to give personal, financial or medical information in an email. You never know if someone else might be reading that message. Or if hackers will get their hands on it.
If you have to call out sick from work, for example, it’s better to pick up the phone and explain the situation directly. And if your employees need to tell you they’ll be out for illness, remind them that it’s best to avoid too much detail in email on information that isn’t anyone else’s business.
8) Anger
Never push send on a message when you’re angry. It doesn’t matter the subject or timeliness.
It’s too easy for a written message to sound much more insulting than the writer intended. Always read out loud everything before it’s sent to see how it’ll sound to the recipient.
Here are a few words and phrases to avoid:
- Stupid/dumb
- Big/huge mistake
- Trouble/big trouble/serious trouble
- Highly sensitive/very sensitive/highly confidential
9) An Insult or Slight
If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all. As unhappy as you might be with somebody, never insult them in an email.
A good rule of thumb? Assume everyone in your company is reading the email you’re writing – and with the magic of the “forward” button that could happen.
With that in mind, you won’t be tempted to say something less than positive.