Digital manners needed in UK workplace

UK office workers are confused about the digital ‘etiquette’ surrounding new communications technologies such as email, SMS and instant messaging (IM).

Almost half of UK office workers said they would consider it rude if someone does not respond to an email within a morning, while an impatient five per cent said they take offence if an email isn't answered within five minutes.

The survey, Digital Etiquette, carried out for ntl:Telewest by TNS, based its finding on interviews with 1,400 UK office workers aged 16 to 64.

Among its findings, the survey noted that many people think that IM and SMS were not appropriate communications tools for certain aspects of office life, including HR issues, financial discussions and liasing with senior management.

There is also a lack of tolerance when it comes to modern communications. Two out of five people consider it rude if they don’t get a an SMS response within an hour and a quarter of workers expect an IM response within five minutes.

'The British are renowned for their manners, so it is important that as and when these tools become more widely known, businesses give guidelines to their staff on how to use them efficiently,' commented Stephen Beynon, managing director, ntl:Telewest.

'If businesses fail to tackle this head-on they risk damaging relationships with suppliers, partners and clients alike.'