How to Find Out Whether Your Co-Workers Hate You (Using Email)

pcmag.com:

Hiya,

About that meeting yesterday. I am looking forward to you delivering on the projects you committed to. 

Thanks in advance.

—X

If this message sends a chill up your spine, there's a good reason. Preply surveyed 1,000 people(Opens in a new window) to find out how email greetings and sign-offs are perceived by recipients. Work emails can be the most fraught, with 91% saying that their co-workers are sometimes passive-aggressive over email. This has made email recipients attuned to tone, and 46% say they can tell a coworker’s mood just by those two factors.

Another element that could be a clue is the age of the sender. Gen Z is the group most likely to express frustration through greetings and sign-offs. Sending...

...and receiving them...

...is even a TikTok trend.

Survey respondents ranked the “most savage” greetings. The scariest one you can receive is no greeting at all—an email that just dives right in. The next most savage starts with “Hiya.” Slightly better are greetings that involve your name: “[Your name]:,” “Hiya [Your name],” and “[Your name],.” You’ll know your co-worker is truly mad at you if a message ends with just their name, “Thanks in advance,” “Respectfully,” or the ever-chilling “Cheers.” 

But honestly, you’re going to have to read between the lines on these based on your knowledge of the sender’s usual style; many survey respondents consider the "savage" greetings and sign-offs to be common and casual. 

Using the name Karen to stand in for a colleague, respondents’ common email greetings are:

“Hi Karen,” (67%)

“Good morning/afternoon/evening Karen,” (54%)

“Good morning/afternoon/evening,” (53%)

“Hello Karen,” (48%)

“Hi,” (42%)

“Hello,” (41%)

“Karen,” (35%)

“Hey Karen,” (26%)

“Dear Karen,”