Question about email etiquette at work.

[raccoon]

Some big shot at work sends out an email about Jane Doe being promoted to (big shot position).

Now, if one emails Jane Doe congratulations, is it appropriate to just email Jane Doe? At my workplace, many people clutter up other people's inboxes by replying to all. I just reply to Jane.

Which is appropriate, do you think?

[cantbeserious]

1. Just Reply To Jane Doe

eom

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. I'd send my congratulations to Jane directly. Reply All would be a nuisance to others.

Let us know when it's your turn to be congratulated.

[Android3.14]

3. It depends on the outcome you are seeking

Responding to all - You are joining a chorus to promote the appearance of popular support.

Responding to Jane - You are promoting a sense of friendship and intimacy.

Responding to both - You push the bandwagon and you reinforce intimacy

Responding to neither - You go unnoticed, because no one really keeps track of that sort of thing unless they have other issues.

[madokie]

4. Reply to jane only

first thing I do when I reinstall an operating system and set up my email is remove reply all and forward all from my choices.

I quit an email address once years ago because I used to get an email from one of the people I worked with who just forwarded to all and sometimes the other peoples addresses would take up two or three or more screens before I even got to the joke. when I forward something to someone I delete the name and address of the person who sent it to me and any others names and addys that might be there before I send it on. It only takes a second to do and it helps keep the clutter out.

[bigwillq]

5. Folks at my work love the reply all button

I can't stand it. Just reply to that one individual.

[grossproffit]

8. People in the reply all circle will assume, wrongly,that one didn't congratulate Jane

if only sent to her personally.

[Recursion]

10. OMG you should work for the US Government some time

There are some lists that are literally 20,000 people, and occasionally (hey, this happens to the best of us) someone accidentally sends a message to those lists. That in itself is annoying but understandable.

What happens next is infuriating.

Literally three or four hundred people will forward an old OPM message from the 90s about the importance of not over-using mass email lists. Dozens of people will respond "unsubscribe". Dozens more will respond snarkily about how stupid it is to reply all to mass emails, thinking they were just talking to the author, but forgetting they hit "reply all" themselves.

Every. Single. One. of these messages is delivered to you, while you're trying to do your job, whatever it is.

"Reply All" should be killed with fire.

[Phentex]

13. I LOVE when all the people reply Unsubscibe...

as if that is the way to unsubscribe.

I also love when a group doesn't know how to create a list or bcc so you get a message addressed to you and one hundred other email addresses at the same time. And then people reply all.

[Recursion]

14. OMG YES

You said it best:

[jberryhill]

19. No, the BEST things happen with bcc: lines

When someone jumps into the conversation from a bcc: line, not realizing they were bcc'd, all kinds of madcap adventures can ensue.

My favorite:

Sending an email to opposing counsel in a dispute, putting your client on the bcc: line, and then having your client jump in with a pithy comment about opposing counsel that they thought they were only sending to you.

[grossproffit]

6. Both. Reply all and then send a congratulatory email to Jane.

[FLPanhandle]

7. Jane only

Jane will appreciate it more and so will all your coworkers.

[Recursion]

9. Never, ever "reply all" unless this is a specific list made for the discussion of a specific issue

Period.

And in that case, your administrator should have made that list with its own address so that you don't even have to reply all then, but just reply to the list address.

Reply All should be killed with fire.

[KatyMan]

17. This absolutely. NT

Nt

[jberryhill]

11. No, No, No.... Here's what you do

Put everyone on "bcc:", take off the two big shots, and say "Can you believe the incompetent fools that get promoted around here?"

Go for it.

[Recursion]

15. Bwah!

I love the way you think.

[seaglass]

12. Jane directly, no reply all. I have an Inbox folder titled LOL where I saved a Reply All email

chain that makes me laugh every time I open it. For a time we had a real problem with Reply Alls in our company to the extent that (after the incident below) any announcements to employees had the standard "Please do not Reply All" at the end of the email. LOL

HR makes an announcement to All Employees that there is one spot left on an employee committee and to respond if interested.

X: (reply all) Count me in!
Y: (reply all) X, did you really mean to tell ALL EMPLOYEES that you are counted in. Please no more reply all.
Z: (reply all) Y, Did you really mean to tell ALL EMPLOYEES that you were telling X not to tell ALL EMPLOYEES that she was counted in. Please no more reply to alls.
X: (reply all) Yes, Y I did mean to inform "ALL EMPLOYEES" to count me in. Because when we have something nice to say we like to share it. Thank you.
Y: (reply all) Thanks! I'm glad to stop work and pick up everyone's reply. I do think everyone should stop now!

[Iggo]

23. Oh, fuck X.

[Oneironaut]

29. I once had 200+ spam e-mails saying "Congratulations!" when someone e-mailed the whole company

I had never met the person who was retiring - they were in Germany. This was a company of 1000's of people, and the e-mail went out to everyone. One guy finally just e-mailed everyone on the distribution and told them to shut up. The e-mails stopped immediately. lol

[Takket]

16. Just Jane.

[Renew Deal]

18. It's a bad habit that needs to be broken.

And it takes HR to make it stop. The email should come from a generic email address that cannot be replied to. Or it can be BCC'd.

[Jokerman]

20. "reply to all" should be password protected and require at least three confimations.

1) You selected "reply to all". Are you sure?

2) "reply to all" is quite annoying and should almost never be used. Are you sure?

3) You are about to look like an idiot. Your work and personal reputations are at stake. It is highly recommended that you take some time and think about what you are about to do. ARE YOU SURE????

[snooper2]

21. This is how I would deal with this first World problem, delete email...

BACK TO WORK!

[Iggo]

22. "Reply", not "Reply All".

[mike dub]

24. Would "reply" directly to Jane only

The congrats is for her - entire group doesn't need to be included.

[LiberalElite]

25. Jane only. eom

[JackInGreen]

26. Id go direct

Both email and irl.

[PoliticAverse]

27. Which is 'appropriate' or which is 'better office politics'? n/t

[Oneironaut]

28. Irl if you can, e-mail just to Jane if you can't.

I've always found "Reply All" congratulations as kiss-assey and insincere. They come off as playing work politics rather than actually caring about the person you're congratulating.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. Not only should you reply to all ..

... but after a while, when people start replying to all stating that everyone should stop replying to all, you should reply to all to voice your agreement with the people who are begging others to stop replying to all.

This is especially important in a large multinational corporation where the "replies-to-all" can span languages and time zones.

It's sort of an internally-driven denial-of-service attack.

[Waldorf]

31. Just congratulate Jane Doe. This happens at our work and I believe its because some people just

don't understand email.