Per my last email': how email incivility can affect us at work

Rude email communication is common and can have effects beyond momentary irritation. Research indicates that many employees receive rude emails daily. Rudeness through email triggers work rumination, making it harder to disengage after work and increasing anxiety and depression rates. Because emails can be reread, the psychological impact can persist and intensify. Email incivility is also linked to physical effects, including headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, and increased heart rate reactivity, which is associated with higher heart problem risk. Passive rudeness, such as being ignored or not receiving a reply, is linked to insomnia, potentially driven by uncertainty.

"A recent study of more than 1,000 employees found that rude emails trigger work rumination that very specific misery of replaying an exchange in your head which makes it harder to switch off after work and is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression. And unlike a rude verbal comment, a rude email can be reread repeatedly, which compounds the psychological harm well beyond the initial moment, says Zhenyu Yuan, an assistant professor of managerial studies at the University of Illinois Chicago."

"Email incivility, or rudeness through email communication, is no exception. A recent study of more than 1,000 employees found that rude emails trigger work rumination that very specific misery of replaying an exchange in your head which makes it harder to switch off after work and is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression."

"Gary Giumetti, a professor of psychology at Quinnipiac University, points to research linking email incivility to headaches, stomach aches, fatigue and increased heart rate reactivity, which is linked to a higher risk of heart problems. Another study found that passive email rudeness, such as being ignored or left without a reply, is linked to insomnia."

Read at www.theguardian.com