Writing the perfect email is a tough thing to do. Crafting the perfect email takes time and energy.
Choosing the right words, making sure they won’t react too negatively, and writing in a friendly tone are all important.
We’ve put together 15 email templates to make it easier for you.
Feel free to use these the next time any of the following situations come up.
An Employee Can’t Handle Criticism
Criticism, as long as it’s constructive, is meant to help employees grow. Get employees to understand that you’re doing this for their best interest.
Hey _________, It seemed like my comment earlier bothered you. I hope there’s no misunderstanding, everything I said was meant to help you grow and become an even better employee.
I value you as an employee and truly enjoy working with you.
If there’s ever anything you’d like to talk about, just let me know! I’m here for you.
Thanks!
An Employee Has A Negative Attitude
A negative attitude needs to be handled lightly, because they’re already negative about something, so you don’t want to rock the boat.
But you need to handle this quickly, because it could be bringing down the morale for the rest of the team.
Hey _________, I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay with you. It seemed like something was bothering you earlier.
Is there anything on your mind that you’d like to talk about?
I’m here to talk if you need anything.
Thanks!
They Continuously Show Up To Work Tired
Obviously you want your employees to be as productive as possible, but you don’t want to appear like a micromanager either. This is an important email to write, but again, you need to be sensitive.
Hey _________, I noticed that you seemed a little tired the last few days, is everything okay?
I don’t mean to get too personal, but is there anything going on outside of work that I might be able to help with?
Just know that if you ever need to chat about anything, I’m here for you.
Thanks!
They Continuously Show Up To Work Late
Similar to the last one, it’s not fair to the other employees if there’s an employee that’s constantly late. You don’t want to be too aggressive, but you need this behaviour to stop.
Hey _________, I noticed that you’ve been getting into work late the last few days. I don’t think that’s fair to your other coworkers who depend on you.
Is everything alright?
If there’s anything on your mind, or anything I can help with, let me know!
Thanks.
An Employee That Needs More Training
This is a sensitive email to write, because you don’t want the employee to feel like they’re not good enough. You want to let them know that you’re there to help them to improve.
Hey _________, How’s everything going?
You’re doing a great job at work, and you’re a valuable member of the team. I think that there are a few skills that you could get even more knowledgeable about.
I’d be happy to help you, maybe we could schedule some time once a week to meet?
I really think it could make a huge difference for you!
Let me know if you’re interested,
Thanks!
An Employee Flirts Inappropriately
Sexual tension in an office is common, but it can make employees very uncomfortable. You want to make sure that the culture promotes friendship, but that there is a line drawn.
Hey _________, This is a bit of a sensitive subject, but I wanted to talk with you about something.
I heard that you had been behaving inappropriately with another coworker, specifically that you made a comment that might have been taken the wrong way.
I know you probably didn’t do this intentionally, but we need to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.
It’s just something to keep in mind. These types of things have no place at work, so it’s important to be mindful whenever you’re interacting with another employee.
An Employee Takes Too Much Time Off
It’s important to encourage work-life balance, but within reason. If it’s becoming obvious that they’re taking too much time off, something needs to be done about it.
Hey _________, How’s everything going?
While we encourage work-life balance and are happy to let you take time off, I wanted to talk to you about the time off you’ve been taking recently.
From what I’ve noticed, you’ve been taking an excessive amount of time off.
If there’s an issue with your health, please let me know, I’d be happy to help in any way I can.
Let me know,
Thanks!
Asking Employees For Feedback
Collecting feedback from your employees is one of the most valuable things you have at your disposal. Make sure you ask for it in the best way possible.
Hey everyone! I want to ask you guys a huge favour.
We want to make sure that this is an amazing place to work and that you’re all loving your jobs.
I’d love it if you took some time to give us feedback on how we could improve.
Please let me know, everything is completely anonymous so you can feel free to share whatever is on your mind.
No one will get into any trouble for whatever they say, as long as it’s constructive.
Thanks!
After You Received Negative Feedback
The initial reaction after you receive negative feedback is to react. Take a step back, breathe, and try to learn from it.
Hello, I just received some anonymous feedback about a concern that one of you has.
If whoever wrote that wants to take 15 minutes and come chat, I’d be happy to address any concerns.
You’re definitely not in any trouble, we work hard to make this a great workplace, and we want to make sure that everyone is happy here.
Thanks!
You Recently Fired An Employee
This will likely lower morale for the rest of the team, at least initially. You want to be proactive, transparent, and explain your actions.
Hey _________, This morning I unfortunately had to let ________ go.
It was a tough decision for me, but I simply felt like they weren’t fitting in with the team very well.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate, I’d be happy to answer any concerns.
If you want to keep in touch with her you can always add her on Facebook, I’m sure she’d be happy to connect.
Thank you.
Thanking The Team
Sometimes the whole team deserves praise. It’s important to remind your team how valuable they all are, and the combined value that they bring.
Hey _________, I just wanted to take a quick minute to thank all of you for your contribution lately.
You all did an incredible job with the Microsoft project. They were so impressed with our presentation and I’m pretty sure they’ll end up becoming a client!
I can’t express how much you guys all mean to me. I truly enjoy coming into work every day with all of you.
The future looks bright!
Enjoy your weekend :)
Thanking A Specific Employee
When an employee does something great, it’s important to take the time to recognize them.
Remember to be specific about what you’re thanking them for. It’s not the words “thank you” that matter, it’s the fact that you noticed their good work.
Hey _________, I just wanted to take a quick minute to tell you what a great job you did with that presentation earlier. I was seriously impressed!
The fact that you used those graphs in your slides to back up what you were saying was a really smart idea.
And that tomato analogy! Priceless :)
Thanks again, and keep up the great work!
When An Employee Threatens To Quit
This is a high tension situation. A carefully worded email could help figure out what’s really on their mind.
Hey _________, I have something on my mind I need to say.
What we talked about earlier really came out of nowhere. I didn’t realize you were so upset!
I really value you as a team member, and I know everyone else really enjoys working with you.
Is there anything I can do to potentially change your mind? If it’s an issue with your salary, I’ll see if there’s something I can do.
Maybe we can chat for a bit tomorrow to figure something out?
Let me know,
Thanks!
An Employee That Misses Many Deadlines
When an employee misses deadlines over and over it can be pretty frustrating. You’ll have to work with the employee to make sure they work harder to meet deadlines.
Hey _________, I wanted to talk to you about something that I’ve been noticing lately.
I notice that you’ve missed quite a few important deadlines recently. What happens is, it puts an unnecessary extra pressure on everyone else on the team.
We have clients that depend on us, and I want to work with you to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Thanks.
When An Employee Is Too Cocky
Nobody wants a cocky member of the team, it brings down the morale of the rest of the team. It’s important that everyone feels like equals.
Hey _________, How’s everything going?
I wanted to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a few days now.
You’re one of our smartest, most valuable team members and we really appreciate the work you do. But one thing I’ve noticed is that some people feel like you’re bragging too much.
It makes them feel a bit uncomfortable. Remember that we’re all on the same team, and we’re all here to help each other out.
Just something to be mindful of as you communicate with the team.
Keep up the great work!