The Writing Center – Writing Reference Materials
Writing Professional Emails in the Workplace
Increasingly, universities and colleges are emphasizing the development of communication
skills. In addition to discipline-specific knowledge, employers also expect post-secondary
graduates to have strong written and oral communication skills.
Writing emails in the workplace requires a specific set of skills. Learning conventions related to
structure and style will enable you to convey your message to your audience professionally.
When to send an email
Email is one of many available communication technologies in the workplace, but it is not
always the most appropriate one. When considering the method of communication, consider
your message, your audience's likely reaction to the information, and the size of your
audience. In general, email is good for positive or neutral news and sharing information.
Sometimes other methods of communication (face-to-face, phone, instant messaging, video
conferencing, etc.) may be more appropriate.
If you are terminating someone's position, face-to-face is the best way to communicate that
information
If your audience is located in different cities or countries, and you are delivering good news and
are excited to see your colleagues' reactions, video conferencing may be a better choice than
email
Types of email in the workplace
There are two primary types of email in the workplace:
1. Request-and-Reply Emails
Most emails in the workplace fall into this category. Request emails usually expect a reply. This
kind of email could ask questions, specify tasks people need to complete, or ask colleagues to
acknowledge or comment on policies, meetings, or projects. A sample request-and-reply email
can be found near the end of this page.
2. Confirmation Emails
This kind of email creates a permanent, written record of a conversation that has taken place.
For example, if you and a colleague discussed collaborating on a project over lunch, you might
send them an email with the details of that conversation. This gives you both a record of the
conversation and allows for the conversation to continue, if needed.
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Essential email components
Helpful tip: Conventionally, email components should be left-justified (i.e., not indented). The
exception is for bulleted or numbered lists, which should be offset in order to make it easier
for the reader to see important information.
An important design concept in workplace communication is graphic highlighting, which means
that you should use white space and bulleted/numbered lists to make important or detailed
information easier to access. Emails are meant to be concise, so you should avoid lengthy
sentences and paragraphs.
Subject line
The subject line of your email should offer your reader the purpose of the email, but it should
also be brief. If your subject line is vague, people may ignore your email, or it may be sent to
the junk/spam folder.
Vague: Budget
Specific: Budget Revision Request
Greeting
Choosing a greeting may appear to be an easy task, but you have to gauge the appropriate level
of formality. Emailing a coworker with whom you are friends to ask a brief question is different
from emailing your supervisor with a work-related request. Below are some greetings that
straddle different levels of formality:
More formal:
Dear [Name],
Hello [Name],
Good morning/afternoon [Name],
Less formal:
Hi [Name],
Hey [Name],
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Body
Depending on how your audience will react to the information in your email, you will need to
decide whether to structure your email body using the direct or indirect method of
communication. Either way, paragraphs in an email, when there is more than one, should
be clear and concise. They are generally much shorter than paragraphs in an academic essay,
for example.
The Direct Method of Communication
Except in the cases listed below, use the direct method of communication when constructing an
email. This method is used when your reader is already informed about the subject and/or will
already be supportive of the information provided. The content of your email will provide the
following pieces of information, in this order:
1. Main point/decision/request
2. Background or context for the main point of the email (if required)
3. Closing paragraph – summary, action items, polite closing
The Indirect Method of Communication
While you want to avoid delivering really bad news by email (face-to-face is the preferred
method for sensitive subjects), if you are delivering information that your reader may not
immediately support or that they need to be educated about, your email should be structured
according to the indirect method of communication. This gives the reader time to consider
rationale or background before encountering the main message:
1. Background or context for the main point of the email (always included in the indirect method)
2. Main point/decision/request
3. Closing paragraph – summary, action items, polite closing
General Tip: The level of formality in your tone will vary based on the recipient of your
message. In general, emails in the workplace are less formal than academic writing but more
formal than spoken conversation. While first-person references and contractions are usually
acceptable in emails,
jargon and slang should be avoided (as should humor, which may be misinterpreted).
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Sign-off
As with the greeting, you need to choose an appropriate sign-off for your audience:
More formal:
Sincerely,
Thanks/Thank you,
Best,
All the best,
Best regards,
Kind regards,
Less formal:
Talk soon,
Cheers,
See you,
The direct method of communication
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Sample email
The following example represents a standard request and reply email in the workplace. Note
that because this news would likely be seen as either neutral or positive, the writer has chosen
to use the direct method of communication.
From: [email protected]
To: All Staff <[email protected] >
Subject: Reactions to Casual Dress Policy
Dear Staff,
Human resources is considering implementing a casual dress policy in the workplace. Please
provide feedback on the questions below as management considers changing its current policy.
Increasingly, staff are noting that they would feel more comfortable and productive in the work
environment if they were able to dress casually. However, there is no agreement on what
constitutes an acceptable level of "dressing down" at our company. Here are some questions to
consider:
1. What can be considered casual dress while remaining professional?
2. Should our policy restrict body art such as tattoos or piercings?
3. What policies should we implement if clothing is deemed offensive?
4. Should we institute a casual dress policy?
Your input would be greatly appreciated. Your opinions can then be discussed at the managers'
meeting on October 1. Please respond to the above questions by September 29. If you have any
questions or concerns, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Thanks!
Best,
Julia Ali
Human Resources Specialist
XY Genetics, Inc.
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