Work Notes – Email or face-to-face?

For personal issues, should you talk to the boss or send an email?

Angiela Herbers, a consultant for financial planning firms, recommends in-person conversations about personal matters.

This is especially true if you are asking for an exception to policy: More vacation time, a later start time, extension of a project, or a special request.

For one thing, email can be misunderstood and, if your email is misunderstood, it’s impossible to correct.

And, remember, that misunderstood email creates a permanent record. All email creates a permanent record, which is important to remember if you are angry or disappointed.

Imagine this scenario:
A person has landed a job but before her first day she emails that she must work from home. Added to this demand, she supports her case by saying if she has to work in the office she will have a panic/asthma attack and have to be taken to the hospital.

In effect, she has just written a resignation letter, stating that she is unwilling to work where the job is required and physically unable to take the job. The company has an email to prove it.

Herbers also points out that angry email builds a case against the employee themselves.

Conclusion: Always speak to the boss in person about important employment issues.