Public Servant Lifestyle

Email jests are no joke in the modern office 'communications jungle' - with nearly two in ten employees in Scotland having suffered from ‘crossed-wires’, it has been found.

Nearly two in ten employees in Scotland have suffered crossed-wires with colleagues or service users because their use of humour in an email has been misinterpreted - and 13% have made a serious faux pas because their timing was wrong, according to a new poll of UK workers.

The findings, from a poll of 1,000 full and part-time employees carried out for the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), highlight how communicating effectively in today's workplace needs careful consideration.

The results come ahead of the introduction of new regulations that promote good and effective communication in the workplace, as a means of resolving disputes which can otherwise lead to an employment tribunal.

Relaxed Work Culture

Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "A more relaxed work culture and a rise in the use of modern technology such as email have resulted in great benefits for business. But get the tone or timing wrong and there could be tensions and a breakdown of communication at an individual level.

"The key to any problem is to try to nip it in the bud by dealing with it when it arises and stop things escalating - that's why it is vital to have sound procedures in place to deal with disputes in the workplace."

Last year, Employment Tribunals dealt with 115,000 claims based on work disputes, from problems over pay and conditions, to racial and sexual harassment. Yet research shows that in over a third of cases, the individual and the manager hadn't discussed the problem at all.

As of 1 October 2004 all businesses have to have in place statutory minimum dismissal and disciplinary procedures, requiring employers and employees to follow a simple three-stage process, in order to ensure that disputes are discussed within the workplace before any further action is taken.

Gerry Sutcliffe said: "The new dispute resolution regulations are about a lot more than just costs, but it is an important fact that an employment tribunal claim costs an employer an average of £2,000 in management time and legal fees.

Many businesses already have dismissal and disciplinary procedures in place, but for those that don't, the new regulations will help ensure that they avoid unnecessary costs and stress which makes for a better workplace and higher productivity. Employment Tribunals remain a vital protection for individual employment rights but should not be a first port of call."

Other findings from the poll indicate that across the UK, men are less adept at surviving in the 'communications jungle' than women, with almost one in three (28%) finding that their jokes have back-fired, compared to 19% of women; and over a quarter (26%) misjudging their timing, compared to just 13% of their female counterparts.

It's Good To Talk

Additional findings include:

One in 10 workers in Scotland have experienced crossed-wires with colleagues or clients because they sent an email to the wrong person;

12% have suffered problems because they handled a sensitive issue in the wrong way.

Encouragingly, workers in Scotland still prefer to communicate face-to-face, with 59% citing this as their most frequent means of interaction with colleagues and 48% with clients or customers

Many still like to talk - a quarter of workers (24%) stated the telephone was their most frequent means of communication with colleagues and 30% with clients or customers

On a personal level the telephone is the best-used communication tool for 49% of workers, with only 6% using email more than any other means.

Dr Monica Seeley, CEO of Mesmo Consultancy, which specialises in training businesses in email management, commented: "Businesses thrive as a result of good communication and new technology such as email has revolutionised the way we work. However, whilst this brings business benefits it has also blurred the boundaries of language and etiquette, meaning careful consideration needs to be given to issues such as tone and turn of phrase used in emails. Implementing a code of email best practice and providing effective training on email use is one way to combat these problems and to realise the true benefits of email."

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