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Instant messaging and e-mail make our jobs much easier. Long gone are the days of running to your colleague's desk to have normal, face-to-face human interaction about your project. Now, we can send each other passive-aggressive messages and avoid each other altogether. Yay.

This Monday, Amber Sevart tweeted the ridiculous work-related message she received. "I e-mailed you 3 days ago," it said. Indeed, the person contacted Amber on Friday afternoon at 4:47 pm. However, they followed up at 8:15 am on Monday morning which means they technically gave her 28 working minutes to respond.

Amber's tweet instantly went viral, generating over 295K likes and 823 comments, many of which were written by people who also wanted to share the infuriating and ridiculous exchanges they had the pleasure to be a part of at work.

I don't know whether the thread they have eventually created is sad, funny, or both, but it sure does capture the toxic communication most of us have to endure while making a living.

Such e-mails might be a hint suggesting there's something wrong with the company, too. Experts say poor communication between employees and management is another sign of toxicity.

According to a study conducted by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), nearly 3 in 10 employees believe their managers don't encourage a culture of open and transparent communication. When this happens, managers and employees seldom interact. Even when they do, the information typically flows top-down with managers giving instructions to their subordinates, who have no autonomy whatsoever.

To make matters even worse, when the communication is poor, the collaboration between management and employees might also be negatively affected and employees become reluctant to ask questions.

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    Research on leadership has shown that employees look at their leaders for cues on how to behave in the workplace. So, the communication problem between management and employees can spill into the rest of the organization. As a result, employees no longer see value in communicating and collaborating with each other. Instead of engaging in personal interactions, they prefer using other communications means.

    Such as e-mails or text messages. It's a closed circle.

    #3

    Worst-Job-Emails

    dvdtrash Report

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    deanna woods
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To all people: MOST BUSINESSES ARE OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 9-5. WHEN THE BUSINESS IS CLOSED, IT IS CLOSED. GETTING MAD WILL DO NOTHING, BUT PISS OFF THE COMPANY. That is my rant for today.

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    #4

    Worst-Job-Emails

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    BluEyedSeoulite
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a freelance proofreader, I get these projects a lot. I turn them down because they are always such small projects, it isn't worth the time to make an invoice.

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    #5

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    muppitz Report

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    Vic
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sender of the email should be reported, this is not acceptable behaviour..

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    #6

    Worst-Job-Emails

    psychobetha Report

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    Teresa Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which when working from home I struggled with BADLY. Worked as a middle school secretary during pandemic shutdown, and we still operated with normal business hours. Because I was working from home, I was calling 80+ families on my personal phone. Cool, because they felt heard and appreciated on someone's personal phone. Shitty, because sometimes I worked until 8pm because I just... Was there. And people called me whenever their shift was off with questions about their kid and how school was gonna be, etc etc....

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    #7

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    Ripley
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "A lack of organisation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part". Words to live by.

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    #9

    Worst-Job-Emails

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    Rissie
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just tell them upfront it is not ok behavior. No need to get frustrated, let them be the ones walking through a wall.

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    #10

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    bv7hearts
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When they do s**t like this, they go to the bottom of the pile.

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    #11

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    Vic
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey! Cut her some slack, maybe she doesn't know to read.. only knows to write :-p

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    #12

    Worst-Job-Emails

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    Katherine Boag
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you don't read or at least skim your received emails, you shouldn't be sending any

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    #13

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    Alethia Nyx
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This I understand a little less, I don't know what sort of college you work at, but students are expected to study, make decisions and be thinking about university on weekends, why shouldn't there be advice for them on weekends? Why doesn't the college employ someone to be available on weekends.

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    #14

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    Serial pacifist
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Send an email at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Send an email two minutes later - Hey I emailed you last week. Very unprofessional of you not to reply.

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    #17

    Worst-Job-Emails

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    Chez
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't return phone calls that come through after working hours or over weekends. If it's so urgent, they can call back or send an email.

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    #19

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    K Miller
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One thing I wish Facebook would do with is send reminders. I manage my work's Facebook page too, and if someone messages on the weekend or after hours, they get sent a message saying we'll respond during business hours, but then by the time I get into the office the next morning, I've forgotten.

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    #20

    Worst-Job-Emails

    stupidsequel Report

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