Your email sign-off is quietly telling your coworkers exactly where you fall on the class ladder-the people above you noticed it on day one and the people beside you have the same one and that's not a coincidence - Silicon Canals

"Here's something I noticed after years in corporate: the CEO ends emails with just their name. Sometimes not even that. Middle managers? They're writing "Best regards" like their promotion depends on it. And the fresh graduates? They're practically writing thank you notes at the bottom of every message. It's not confidence. It's power. When you don't need anything from anyone, when people need things from you, your communication gets sparse."

"When you don't need anything from anyone, when people need things from you, your communication gets sparse. You don't have to perform politeness. Your time is too valuable. Your brevity becomes a luxury that announces itself. I remember being told off early in my career for signing an email to a director with just "Cheers." The message was clear: know your place. The unwritten rule? You can only be as casual as your position allows."

Email sign-offs act as visible class markers in professional settings. Senior executives often use initials or no sign-off; middle managers use formal closings like 'Best regards'; junior staff and interns add lengthy, grateful closings. Short sign-offs signal that the sender holds power and does not need to perform politeness; lengthy sign-offs reflect working-class norms of gratitude and deference. Brevity becomes an available status symbol because time and demands differ across ranks. Social background influences habitual politeness and formality in email endings. Unwritten workplace rules limit how casual individuals at different ranks can be in their sign-offs.

Read at Silicon Canals