Email and MS Teams etiquette

Email

Here at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, good email etiquette is highly valued across the University for several important reasons. It upholds professional standards and ensures that information is shared efficiently and clearly, reducing misunderstandings and the need for follow-ups.

Adhering to email etiquette respects everyone’s time and enhances productivity and alleviates the sense of email overload. It fosters stronger collaboration across the institution and sustains positive working relationships among colleagues. Additionally, it ensures that responsibility, safety, and compliance are upheld by minimising the risk of information security incidents.

We recommend reading through this guide to help you get the best response from your emails and other communications, which will also save you time and resource by making the most of many of the features Outlook has available.

Within your School or Department, you may have similar guidance specific to your local area. If this is the case, please use this to support any existing protocols and to act as general advice that applies across the University.

  • Set your own boundaries of when you read and send emails: It is important that colleagues are able to work flexibly around their schedules, and sometimes this may mean operating outside of standard working hours. Some colleagues across the University will also have different working patterns to you. These factors mean you may receive emails outside of your standard working hours. Staff should not feel expected to send or respond to emails outside of their own working hours, and we encourage you to set your own boundaries. If you are a staff member who regularly works flexibly or at different times to your team, we recommend you clearly communicate this with them and consider including a message like the following in your email signature: “Sometimes my messages will arrive outside of working hours, but I do not  expect a reply from you outside of your normal working hours”.  
  • Use the ‘Out of Office’ feature: This enables Outlook to automatically send a reply to those trying to contact you when you’re not working that you are ‘out of office’, with the option for you to write a message stating when you will be back, and any alternative contacts they can reach out to in the meantime. We strongly encourage colleagues use the Out of office feature when they have limited access to their emails or they are taking leave. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Keep your email concise: Where possible, keep emails short and to the point. Start with the most important point and then briefly give some context after so they can view the information they need to at the start. If there’s a specific call to action, consider putting this in bold and including a deadline date if relevant. Bullet points can be considered to improve readability. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Don’t overload recipients with information: Consider whether the email and all of its content is necessary. Does the recipient need all the information? Can it be resolved in person? If your find your email is getting long or an email thread is becoming too and/or covers multiple topics, it may be more appropriate to arrange a quick call or meeting instead.  
  • Avoid cluttering inboxes: When appropriate, use emoji reactions in Outlook to demonstrate you have acknowledged an email from the sender, such as a ‘thumbs up’ emoji. This avoids unnecessarily cluttering inboxes and also reduces your carbon footprint. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Make it clear why you are sending the email: Clearly state what is required of the receiver. This can be done by writing an effective subject line which clearly states if the email is ‘For Action’, ‘For Approval’, or ‘For Information’. Try to keep it short and simple, ideally avoiding using jargon or acronyms unless you know the recipients will understand.    
  • Consider adding an expiry date to your email: If an email is time specific, use the message expiration date feature so it automatically deletes after the date has passed. This helps to stop colleagues replying after something has taken place and causing confusion. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Make sure your email is accessible: Avoid underlining or using italics, and don’t write full words in capitals, as screen readers cannot read them correctly. As best practice, use accessible text fonts and text colours (black text on a white background is okay). If using images, provide alt text for those who are visually impaired. We have included more detailed guidance on accessible communications at the end of this page. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Cultural sensitivity: At º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, we work in a diverse environment, so it’s important to be mindful of cultural differences. Avoid using slang or humour that may not translate well across different cultures or languages. Keep your language inclusive and straightforward and be mindful of all recipients.  
  • Proofread before sending: You can ask a trusted colleague to read an email to check tone, language etc, or use spelling and grammar tools to check any errors. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Don’t request read receipts (unless there’s a compliance reason): They can be seen as intrusive and can come across that you do not trust the recipient. If you need a reply immediately, consider sending an email labelled as ‘High importance’ or try to ring them instead.  
  • Balance friendliness with professionalism: Your tone should be clear, concise and respectful. Depending on your audience—whether it’s senior leadership, external parties, or colleagues—you may need to adjust the level of formality. Avoid overly casual language in formal settings but remain approachable in day-to-day communications.  
  • Don’t assume the worst: Sometimes emails can be misinterpreted. Assume positive intent in other colleagues’ communications and if you have a concern, express it directly but respectfully in person or over a call (as these forms of communication are less likely to be misinterpreted).  
  • Using Emojis in a message appropriately: Emojis are generally more appropriate for informal or internal communications but should be avoided in formal or external emails to maintain professionalism. Always consider the audience and the context before using emojis.  
  • Use gender-neutral language where appropriate: Avoid gender-specific pronouns unless necessary. Use inclusive alternatives such as “they” instead of “he/she” or “everyone” instead of “ladies and gentlemen.”  
  • Consider diverse communication styles: Be mindful that colleagues may have different communication preferences, especially if they are neurodivergent. For some, concise and structured emails are more effective, while others may prefer more detailed explanations. Adapt your email style where appropriate to meet diverse needs.  
  • Use the mention feature (@) in the email to grab someone’s attention: This is a great feature to use if you want to highlight a recipient(s) to specific actions or information relevant to them.  
  • When to ‘Reply to all’ and those ‘Cc’d in’: Use the Cc feature when you want to keep people in the loop. Use Reply All sparingly; consider if everyone needs to know your response. A way to manage recipients is to add a sentence at the start of the email stating why someone was added or removed to highlight the new recipient to other readers.  
  • Use Bcc for privacy: Particularly for mass emails, using the Bcc column prevents a breach of data security and maintains the privacy of recipients. It also prevents unnecessary mass replies which can be irritating to recipients who do not need to be included. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Make use of tools when sharing sensitive information: For example, Outlook offers the ability to ‘Mark as Confidential’, and you can encrypt Microsoft documents so that only the intended recipients can access information.  
  • Watch out for spoofing: Emails from those that claim to be colleagues or even yourself can be faked (spoofing). Delete any emails that ask for personal details such as passwords or security details, and contact with IT Services ¾±³¾³¾±ð»å¾±²¹³Ù±ð±ô²â. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Be aware of phishing: This refers to emails that look like they have come from genuine sources but are used to steal personal details like passwords and usernames. Signs to look out for include a lack of personalisation (eg Dear customer); an email of a threatening tone; as well as any spelling or grammatical errors.    
  • Stay informed about email features and updates: New features in Outlook are regularly introduced to help improve productivity.
  • Regular IT and security updates: It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest security threats and best practices to ensure you’re using email safely. Regular IT training can help you stay aware of new cyber threats. For more information on malicious emails, visit the IT Services webpage on dealing with malicious emails. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Use sparingly: The use of mass email sending, such as a School-wide distribution list, should be using sparingly and only for need-to-know communications. This helps to reduce email overload and unnecessary information going into people’s inboxes. For example, mass emails should not be used for participant call-out for research; promoting events or other ‘nice to know information’ (unless it’s of significance and relevant to all colleagues).
  • Avoid attaching files to mass emails. Instead, use links to shared documents or files stored in OneDrive. Ensure that any files you share are clearly named and that access permissions are correct. This avoids confusion and enhances security, particularly when dealing with sensitive information. 
  • You can change the ‘Undo send’ setting to 30 seconds to allow you more time to notice any mistakes after sending. 
  • Maintaining a single thread of emails for one topic/conversation provides recipients with prior context so everyone can refer to the same information.  
  • Consider if you’re sending to the right recipient. Sometimes, it can be easy to directly contact a Director or Dean of a School or Service, but realistically, they might not be the right person and this could also delay any progress to the query/task. If you’re not sure who you need to speak to, many Schools and Services have their own webpages which include a list of staff, their role and their contact details, so be sure to look at the University website.  
    Consider if you need to print an email, keeping sustainability in mind.  
  • Use a professional email signature that includes your name, job title, your pronouns if you’re comfortable including them, and any other contact details (such as phone number or LinkedIn profile). Avoid using images and excessive formatting as well as bright colours or distracting fronts, as this may not display correct and could affect accessibility. Find out more about email footers including branding guidelines (please note sign-in may be required to access).  

MS Teams 

Since the integration of MS Teams at the University in 2020, it has become a significant communication tool for staff, facilitating daily interactions and enabling us to work collaboratively regardless of our location.

Well-organised MS Team meetings keep our operations running smoothly, whilst proper chat etiquette reduces distractions and promotes a positive work environment. This guide aims to help all staff, whether new or long-serving enhance their use of MS Teams for more effective and productive collaboration.

  • Help reduce email clutter: Move any back-and-forth conversations over email to MS Teams instant chat to reduce your email inbox becoming cluttered. The MS Teams chat function is a great feature for short and informal exchanges and to ask direct questions.  
  • Use reactions appropriately: Exercise discretion with reactions; while a 'thumbs up' can signal acknowledgment, avoid excessive use to prevent potential misinterpretation. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Consider when to move a chat to an email exchange, call or meeting: If/When MS instant messages become long or unclear, use the video/voice call option to discuss further. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Respect boundaries when people are busy: If you email someone and they do not reply immediately, it can cause frustration to use other channels such as MS Teams chat and call functions to chase them, especially within a short space of time. Stick to one method and if its urgent, send a high importance email or meeting invite. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Introduce new members by tagging them: This provides an opportunity for an informal introduction and welcome to the team. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Give your group chat a name: This helps colleagues distinguish chats from one another. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Consider liking posts made by others: This shows you have acknowledged the message and have understood it clearly.   

Organising and Participating in MS Teams meetings

  • Prioritise accessibility: Include a message in a meeting invite to ask if anyone has any accessibility needs for the meeting so you can prepare and cater to these in advance. More accessibility guidance for chairing and/or organising meetings can be viewed at the bottom of this page.  
  • Provide a clear reason why a meeting has been arranged: State the purpose in the invite, and if it’s a structured and/or recurring meeting, consider providing an agenda with the main discussion points so attendees can prepare ahead of the meeting.  
  • Maintain clarity: Keep any presentation slides (or other documents) straightforward and conclude presentations with actionable points that align with the agenda discussed.  
  • Prior to messaging or calling, respect colleagues' availability statuses: Verify whether they are engaged or offline. Similarly, maintain your own status when you are occupied or away from the office.  
  • When applicable, wear headphones during online meetings: This prevents background noise disruptions and provides better sound quality. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • If you’re chairing an online meeting, clarify expectations regarding camera usage and signalling methods (eg using the 'hands up' feature) at the beginning to ensure a uniform and respectful meeting atmosphere.  
  • Meeting recordings: If the meeting is being recorded and/or transcribed, ensure everyone on the call is aware for transparency and to make sure you have their consent. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Use the chat feature to ask questions and share resources to avoid disruptions during the call: This also provides a space for these resources to be saved for future reference.  
  • Incorporate breaks when meetings extend beyond 60 minutes: This helps attendees to stay focused and productive.  
  • Foster a collaborative environment: Encourage participation from all attendees while being mindful of not overpowering the discussion.  
  • Consider others around you: If you attend an online meeting in a shared workspace such as an open office, be mindful of your speaking volume during calls to prevent disturbance to others working nearby. Prioritise wearing headphones during online MS Teams calls to minimise disruptions in the open office environment. Whilst some meetings or Teams calls may occur with short notice, remain respectful of other colleagues in the office and try to find an alternative space in the first instance.  

Accessible communications and meetings

  • Fonts - We recommend using Arial, Verdana or Tahoma as a text font. This is because they do not have the small features on the end of strokes, unlike fonts such as Times New Roman. 
  • Font size - Text smaller than point 12 can be difficult to comprehend, particularly in large volumes, so we recommend using a font size between 12-14. 
  • Justified text can be very difficult to read comfortably - It stretches the words and spaces out in a style that can be difficult for dyslexic learners. Left justified text provides a more comfortable and accessible reading opportunity.  
  • Lower case typing - Reading capitals presents a barrier to reading. Although you may want to emphasise how important something is in your text, there are more accessible ways you can do this such as using bold text.  
  • Using a standard text angle - Italic fonts can look nice, but it can make text look like it runs together, making reading difficult. An alternative to emphasise something would be to use bold standard text.  
  • Avoid underlining text - Text which is underlined changes the way a reader views and can comprehend the text. It also creates distracting visual activity on the page which can interfere with the comprehension process.  
  • Use lists and bullet points - Rather than long paragraphs of continuous prose, lay out information in smaller, bullet pointed sections, or use lists to break up dense material. Information in this format is more accessible for readers.  
  • If presenting (with minimal discussion), mute all participants to minimise background noise. This helps avoid distractions and optimises hearing aid usage 
  • Sit in a well-lit area for video calls to make lipreading easier 
  • Include screen breaks into a session to prevent cognitive overload and improve concentration 
  • If booking a hybrid meeting with a physical meeting room on campus, include AccessAble details 
  • Invite attendees to share their accessibility requirements by setting meetings up in advance 
  • Designated rest breaks for meetings over an hour long should be included in an agenda although everyone should be reminded they can take a break if they need to 
  • If you or someone else would like to turn on live captions for a meetings, you can go to your meeting controls and select More options > Turn on live captions 
  • To pin a specific person in a meeting, right-click on their video and select Pin. This can be especially useful if there is a British Sign Language interpreter present in the meeting 
  • Be mindful of how long a meeting lasts. Aiming for 45-50 minutes instead of an hour should provide most attendees with an opportunity to take a short break before their next meeting or time to move if attending an in-person meeting 
  • Try you best to keep the meeting to time to be mindful of other appointments attendees may have (whether it’s work related or not work related eg caring responsibilities, taking medication etc)