📧 That email that made you wince? New data suggests you're far from alone.

Teacher Tapp has just published findings on incivility in school emails -- and the numbers are striking. Only 44% of primary teachers and 30% of secondary teachers reported not receiving an email from a colleague this academic year that left them feeling uncomfortable or frustrated. Among senior leaders, that figure drops to just 19%.

Of those who did receive one, the most commonly reported features were:

🔴 Aggressive or hostile tone -- reported by 47% of teaching staff and 58% of senior leaders

😐 Dismissive or sarcastic language -- reported by 34% of teachers and 25% of senior leaders

📋 Unnecessary copying-in of someone senior -- reported by 43% of teachers and 39% of senior leaders

There's also a wellbeing signal worth paying attention to: 68% of those who hadn't received an uncivil email reported enjoying work that week, compared to just 56% of those who had.

The Teacher Tapp piece was inspired by agilab's director Dr Emma Russell's🎙️recent appearance on BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind, where she discussed her research on workplace email incivility. Emma reminds us that email incivility is not the same as bullying. It's often situational: people lash out when work gets on top of them. Which is precisely why her practical advice matters:

💡 "If you receive an uncivil email, that goes against normal expectations and character, then this might mean that your colleague is struggling and needs support. Equally, if you are struggling and need support, always take a pause before you engage in an email exchange, as this is when you are most at risk of being uncivil."

For organisations, the policy data is equally telling. Only 40% of secondary schools and 21% of primary schools have a formal email policy -- and many staff who do have one either don't know it exists or don't know what it says. Clear guidance, as Emma notes, helps people understand which behaviours are and aren't acceptable.

🔗 Read the full Teacher Tapp findings here: https://teachertapp.com/articles/incivility-in-teacher-emails/

And if you want to explore Emma's own research on the topic, her paper 'Why do people send rude work emails?' is well worth your time.