Comments on: What would you do? Employee’s ‘funny’ e-mails get out of control

By: Duncan St. Ives

Duncan St. Ives — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:45:59 +0000

I think this is likely a non issue if he gets all his work done but if it bothers you explain to him that you understand that boosting moral is helpful and a little levity can’t hurt but that 13 emails a day is excessive and that you are monitoring them… Tell him that he may send 2 or 3 a day and you don’t have a problem with it but let him know that if he sends an unreasonable number you will be forced to impliment a policy against that kind of thing which hurts everyone. Also let him know that he is an adult and you should NOT have to explain or deliniate reasonable.

By: Essie

Essie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:26:31 +0000

When I started my job, two things happened:
(1) my boss told me all our e-mails were monitored.
(2) I immediately got an e-mail joke from a new co-worker in a different department with the comment she was glad she had someone new to send her jokes to.

I had to ask her not to send them to me due to #1. She has never forgotten it, but who needs friends like that.

By: Richard Bohm

Richard Bohm — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:23:54 +0000

This person needs more work to do that advances the companies mission. Finding work that motivates others in the work place to do more might be a good start. We all have a responsibility to re-establish work ethics in America.

By: Works for a living

Works for a living — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:28:14 +0000

You people are being absolutely ridiculous! My goodness…why don’t you chop off his fingers! Where are you people working that if you read a joke email, your productivity drops? Do you have the mental capacity of a mosquito? Ever hear of multi-tasking? Ever hear of the delete button? Sounds like you people have too much time on your hands…and not enought to do at work.

Silly busy-bodies…this is an IT issue at best.

By: K. Hamm

K. Hamm — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:23:37 +0000

If he’s been told to stop and he doesn’t stop, that’s insubordination. The decision about whether or not he should be using company resources and time (his and others) for this isn’t his to make. If it’s no problem for this company’s managment, fine. If is it a problem, for whatever reason – even if that reason is that the managers have no sense of humor – and he doesn’t stop when told to, then he should go into the disciplinary process. Or, I suppose, wait until he sends that one offensive e-mail that generates a lawsuit.

By: T S

T S — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:31:41 +0000

I agree with Scott, Allowing this to continue will only tell everyone that the company does NOT adhere to policy and others may follow and what risk of liablity it is imposing the company.

Option 1. Creative solution that will benefit company
First explain to him the liability ramifications of the company in dollars if sued for any of his jokes that come to offend any coworkers and that is the reason for great concern if this continues and why policy is in place & then repeat this to him again. Policies are in place to protect him and others that allow a comfortable work place for EVERYONE! Annoyance for those that dont want them and distraction from productivity for those that read them immediately as they come in their email box.

He may be willing to continue to do this in a way that is acceptable to the company or come up with another means of lightening up the office tension without the risks or constant distraction, as well. He apparently has the motivation and drive to do this, he should have no problem with it.
For those who are needing the uplift or are addicted to his jokes will be allowed a controlled medium to post the “Joke of the Day or Week” or even a funny or interesting Tidbit that is associated with the industry that most can relate to on a employers annoucement board or intranet site for employees to come to if they want to. Place the responsibility in his hands to find such material and posting approved thru HR or Legal Dept .
Pro: Allow a creative solution to a potential problem , shows employees the flexibility the company has to resolve an issue thus allowing uplifting moral
Con: HR of Legals time will be spent approving such postings (weekly or daily)

Option 2. Monitor emails
Enforcement of policy:
Have his emails monitored or placed into I/T to review prior to sending to or sending from him to insure he is not to continue distracting employees or allowing harassment risk in workplace. If he knows that his personal or non-company associated emails will be deleted, he would be forced to stop.
Pro: emails will stop immediately
Con: He may retaliate and share his resentment to other coworkers risking moral

By: Forist

Forist — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:25:18 +0000

This is not a complicated problem. The EE needs to be told he is distracting others from getting their work done and as such he must stop inundating peoples e-mail in box with non-essential mail. Tell him this is a verbal warning but a copy of the discussion will be placed in his file. If the problem persist give him a written warning and advise him the next violation of insubordination will result in unpaid suspension followed by termination.

Everyone enjoys a joke at work. It’s good for moral however, when it gets out of control productivity drops and others with similair desires to share a smile or two will begin to send jokes as well. With all the stuff online its possible to attract a virus that could threaten the security of the operation, slow down computer functions, destroy document files etc. It’s best to put an end to it.

By: Danbert

Danbert — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:03:31 +0000

Write him up if its such a distraction.

However…

I like what Don said above – in giving him a role as “company mirth-maker”. Maybe you could put a spot on the intranet site or company newsletter where he can post his jokes without wasting emails. Problem is if you adopt a hardline tactic with him the company is going to look bad (no sense of humor) but yet if you let it go unchecked it can spiral out of control.

Bigger question is this…have we lost the capacity to laugh at work anymore? Have we become too PC?

By: Scott M

Scott M — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:47:56 +0000

“…focus on the detrimental issues: Drain on IT resources, Risk of Viruses, Wasting other associate’s time, Potential for harrassment, Violation of policy etc”

Gina hit the nail on the head. I started sending one positive, non-religious, affirmation per day to all office personel, and I was asked to stop by my supervisor, the HR Director, even though mnay people enjoyed them. The main reasons were 1) they were not work related (policy violation), and 2) the potential for harrassment. I only needed to be told once.

By: Don Buer

Don Buer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:16:02 +0000

The answer is obvious. Make it formal. Put the employee in charge of daily staff moral. Assign him the task of compiling a daily list of jokes, which he must email to all employees (using a simple mailing list) once each morning. Instead of dozens of emails to everyone all day, he will just send one email with all the jokes he’s gathered from the previous day. At worst, you’ve minimized the problem and, at best, turned his hobby into labor (he may want to stop once it becomes work). If he shows signs of tiring of the task, offer to let him drop the whole idea.