Employers told to set email rules to cut stress

Employers should create a list of guidelines outlining how staff should go about sending and checking emails, the author of a new Australian study on e-mail anxiety shows.

University of Queensland psychologist Rowena Brown says her report, which questioned 218 university staff who send and receive over 30 emails per day, shows poorly written emails can be just as stressful as receiving a swarm of messages at once.

As a result, Brown recommends companies establish guidelines for emails, saying clear, concise messages can lead to higher morale at work.

“I think it’s really important companies establish the rules that will help their employees and the organisation itself. They should make sure they have email guidelines, and teach how to effectively use email. Allow flexibility.”

“My big point is that communication is the key. We want to present ourselves in a positive light, and the biggest benefit is ensuring we communicate professionally.”

Brown says email guidelines should include recommendations to organise emails by importance and avoid sending excessive numbers of messages to other workers.

“Look at the quantity of your e-mails. Prioritise your emails in terms of importance, avoid spamming other people with messages. Delete spammed emails in your own inboxes so you don’t get clogged. Check your inbox at the start of your work day, and create designated times when you check your email every day.”

Brown recommends workers and employers be mindful of other’s workloads, and says workers can often forget that our emails contribute to other people’s work.

“Quality wise, I would keep emails professional and concise and avoid emotive language that could be observed as offensive. It’s good to know that people don’t interpret things the way we intend. Spend time constructing messages, re-read them and check the content. Use the subject line feature to help others determine whether the message is an important one.”

Brown’s study also found that the size of an employee’s inbox correlates with their job approval, and employees with the most emails reported increased job satisfaction levels.