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Guidelines for Forwarding Business Emails

ByJudith Hours Posted on Hours Updated: Comments Reading Time: 4 minutes
Guidelines for Forwarding Business Emails

I posted about forwarding emails on my “everyday email etiquette” website and received many requests for advice specifically for business email forwarding. I am contacted regularly about this topic. Forwarding emails can also cause misunderstandings, inefficiencies, and sometimes hurt feelings.

Business vs. Personal Email Forwarding

  • What do you do about a customer that forwards politically charged emails to you?
  • How about a family member who sends NSFW (Not Safe for Work) emails to your business address?
  • What is a “nice way” of telling a business contact or coworker not to forward?
  • How do you stop the attachments, and the religious and political commentary?

Thoughtfulness?

There is a hesitancy to ask others to stop. We don’t want to offend or make the sender think their thoughtfulness is not appreciated or that you are scolding them.

But let’s think about this for a moment. How thoughtful is it to click the forward arrow, then a bunch of email addresses, and hit send? Well, your brain had to “think” about those steps, but does that make an effort truly “thoughtful?”

I don’t think so… Here’s an example of how to handle compulsive forwarders.

Hey, John:

Do me a favor and send non-business related emails to my personal address my****@*************er.com.

I do want to hear from you but my work email volume is overwhelming and your emails will get lost in the shuffle.

Thanks,
Jane

See what I did there? “Will get lost in the shuffle” gives you an excuse not to respond to or acknowledge non-business-related emails.

Simple Forwarding Rules to Follow

Applying these simple guidelines will avoid issues associated with forwarded emails.

  • Don’t forward long threads expecting recipients to understand all the content, back-and-forth dates, bars, and >>>>>>>>>.
    When a thread must remain intact, summarize what the thread contains at the top.
  • Take the time to write a personal comment.
    After your greeting, include a brief comment about why you are forwarding it to the person you are forwarding it to. If you cannot take the time to do that, then you probably shouldn’t forward.
  • Will the email you are forwarding give a positive impression of your business?
    Is the email valuable? What is your intent? If you are CYA’ing or being an eTattler, proceed with caution. It rarely works out positively.
  • Only forward to those who need to know.
    Do not forward an email unless you have a solid reason why the recipient needs to receive it.
  • When forwarding to more than one person.
    Put your email address in the TO: field and all the others you are sending to in the BCc: field. Do not expose your contacts’ email addresses unnecessarily. Also, take the extra step to remove those addresses that do not apply in the body of the email.

The above guidelines will help you determine whether an email is worth forwarding and the proper way to do so in a business environment.

IMPORTANT: Is the topic of the email appropriate to forward in a work environment or to other business contacts? When on company time and using company email, think not twice but three times before you forward. Is that specific email worth the risk of diminishing your on-the-job credibility and professionalism?

Privacy and Copyright

  • There should be no expectation of privacy online, specifically with business email using company equipment. It is wise to assume your communications are monitored and act accordingly. Check your company’s email policy for specifics.
  • Should you copy the original sender or ask if forwarding their email is okay? Cc’ing does not replace asking for permission. The author or the company owns the copyright to that written text.

Senders may not appreciate the email they wrote to you being sent to others or those they don’t know.  Or they may not mind at all.  So, just ask first.

Remember that emails are sent and written to the party for which they were intended. Regardless of when or where they are written. Common courtesy dictates not to forward without the original sender’s knowledge.

Legal Jeopardy

If you forward outside the company, you could be putting your company in legal jeopardy. On the other hand, forwarding internally may put your reputation as a professional on the line.

In business, you also have copyright, legal, and liability issues. This is why every company that utilizes email should have a clear business email policy that all employees know and agree to abide by.

The policy must clarify what is expected when using company email and devices, including the procedures for forwarding what shouldn’t be.

Business Courtesy & Professionalism

How you handle forwarding business-related emails will reflect on you. For example, are you trustworthy, efficient, and detail-oriented? Other factors that may be considered are your professionalism, credibility, and communication ability.

Proceed accordingly.

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