A new study by computing and tech retailer, Currys asked 1000 UK-based office, hybrid, and remote workers about their email preferences and pet peeves. The survey reveals that when it comes to email etiquette, CC’ing others unnecessarily ticks off Brits the most, with 44% giving it the thumbs-down. It’s disliked across all generations—49% of Gen Z, 42% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X, and 42% of Boomers agree on this being the top email bugbear.
Long-winded emails took second place, with more than 4 in 10 Brits (43%) disliking them. A staggering 62% of Boomers and 47% of Gen X listed it as the most annoying habit. However, Millennials and Gen Z don’t find it as irritating, with 36% and 32% find it frustrating respectively.
Using slang terms such as OMG, LOL, or WTF emerged as the third most annoying email habit, irritating nearly 4 in 10 Brits (39%). These terms annoy 39% of Gen Z, 34% of Millennials, 38% of Gen X, and a huge 60% of Boomers.
The 5 most annoying work email habits according to Brits
| Rank | Email habits | % of workers that dislike this |
| 1 | CC’ing people in unnecessarily | 44% |
| 2 | Long-winded emails | 43% |
| 3 | Slang terms such as OMG, LOL, or WTF | 39% |
| 4 | Spelling mistakes/no proofreading | 38% |
| 5 | Marking emails as URGENT when they’re not | 37% |
As the average person receives 90 to 120 emails a day, it’s natural that certain repeated phrases can occasionally hit a nerve. For a quarter (25%) of the nation, that phrase is “as per my last email,” while “just looping you in” annoys slightly less people (23%). The common follow-up phrase “not sure if you saw my email” landed in third place, irritating just over a fifth of Brits (22%).
For those whose job involves sending emails, it’s a good idea to avoid “any updates on this?” as it frustrates 18% of the nation, while “just a friendly reminder” isn’t quite so friendly for 17% of recipients.
Writing “tara” in the email sign off will annoy almost a third of Brits
How you sign off an email also important if you want to remain friendly. Ending a message with “tara/tata” is the worst choice, as it irritates 27% of Brits.
Other common signatures like “sent from my iPhone”, which was thrown into the spotlight recently due to the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” annoys 25% of people, while geeky goodbyes like “May the Force be with you” irritate 24%.
Similarly, 24% dislike Toy Story’s “To infinity and beyond,” and 23% are bothered by Schwarzenegger’s infamous line “Hasta la vista, baby.”
If you want to use a nice phrase to end an email, opt for a more traditional approach like “Have a great day/week/weekend,” as nearly half (49%) of people find it friendly. “Many thanks,” “Best wishes,” and “Cheers” also came up in the survey as good choices to wrap things up.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
