On May 4, a disruptive flurry of emails drew attention to the importance of standards of conduct at work and appropriate use of VCH email. The email chain started with an accidental Reply All to an email list which goes to all CareConnect users throughout  VCH, and continued until Tuesday at about noon.  The incident involved approximately 200 email messages.

The problem

While the sheer volume of emails was an issue, some of the comments made were inappropriate for a professional setting. One reply-all contained a suggestion that everyone on the email to go out for a drink on Friday night. Another stated “stop using reply all, the rest of us don’t give a crap”. Another individual used a Gmail account to conduct an informal poll of all the recipients to how many were on the list.

The solution

If you receive an email that appears to have been sent to you accidentally, inappropriately forwarded or inappropriately sent as a reply-all, DO NOT reply all. Reply to the sender only if you wish to inquire about the email.

Here are a few other tips for use of VCH email:

1. Practice professional standards of conduct in your email, just like you would if you were speaking to a group of people in person. Check the Standards of Conduct and Respectful Workplace policies.
2. Don’t include personal or identifying information in your emails.
3. Stick to factual information only—VCH email is not the place to express emotion or give your personal opinion.

For detailed information on use of VCH email, see the policy.

The consequences

Inappropriate use of VCH email can impact patients and client as well as employees and can result in disciplinary action.

More information

If you’re not sure about proper use of VCH email, discuss it with your supervisor and read the policy.