5 emails you should never send

You also shouldn’t send certain types of emails. Email can be a helpful way to communicate in the workplace, but some emails are simply annoying.

In an article for Open Forum, Penelope Trunk outlines the five types of emails you should never send:

1. “You screwed up” emails: Trunk says this is almost always a mistake. If you need to tell someone he did something wrong, do it in person, she says. You will be able to gauge his reaction and more appropriately explain what went wrong. He also won’t have a constant reminder of his mistake sitting in his inbox.

2. Automated sick-day emails: Don’t schedule an automated email response if you will only be out of the office for a day or two. Wait to personally reply to emails when you come back. “Those people call you if they don’t hear from you in 15 minutes. So you don’t need to put everyone else through the annoyance of hearing that you are out of the office for the day,” Trunk writes.