b'Do You Use These Passive-AggressiveSixty-six percent of respondents said passive-aggressive communication induces anxiety levels Email Phrases?enough to affect work performance, and 31% of people who send passive-aggressive emails are doing so in response to a co-workers passive-aggressive email. Johnson suggests taking time to breathe and walking away when you receive an email that seems passive-aggressive. Then, write an email draft and edit it before sending to ensure you are not contributing to the problem. Johnson also recommends avoiding workplace tattling, which consists of copying a supervisor on an email regarding a minor issue, such as someone missing an internal deadline for the first time. She says when there are reoccurring issues, speak with your supervisor first, and they can watch the situation more closely. Email is a constant presence in the workplace and aIt is important to be self-aware and check the tone of main method of communication for many teams.your emails. If you know you are frustrated about However, an email lacks context and inflection,something, be direct, honest and professional. Address which can make it easier for the reader to assumethe issue clearly without being too formal, or even call hostile intent, according to Fast Company.your co-worker so there are no misunderstandings. If you have ever received an email from a co-worker that seemed a bit snarky, you are not alone. Education platform Preply surveyed 1,000 Americans and found 83% have received a passive-aggressive email at work; 42% received such a message from their boss. Passive aggression can best be explained as unarticulated frustrations, said Sylvia Johnson, head of methodology at Preply. In some cases, these frustrations are articulated in a more formal tone, which can be seen as passive-aggressive while simply attempting to express frustration in a more passive way. The survey showed per my last email is the most passive-aggressive email phrase, implying a previous message was sent and the recipient did not read it. Other passive-aggressive phrases included correct me if Im wrong, as previously mentioned, just a gentle reminder, thought Id bring this to your attention and thanks in advance. Additionally, 47% have had co-workers copy their bosses on emails regarding minor issues. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said co-workers who are friendly in person turn passive-aggressive when emailing. A workplace with a lot of passive-aggressive emails can have serious consequences; the study found nearly a quarter of people have quit jobs because of passive-aggressive co-workers.23'