HR Issues Warning
Corporate America faces a crisis: the phrase “per my last email” has become leading cause of workplace violence fantasies. This passive-aggressive corporate speak, deployed by people too professional for honest communication, triggers immediate rage in recipients who absolutely read the previous email and are now being condescended to by someone who thinks they’re clever.
The “per my last email” epidemic reflects corporate communication’s evolution into coded warfare. Nobody says what they mean. Instead, they deploy weaponized politeness designed to express frustration while maintaining plausible deniability. “Per my last email” translates to “can you not read, you incompetent fool?” while sounding professional.
Recipients report immediate blood pressure spikes upon seeing the phrase. One Brooklyn office worker admitted fantasizing about replying “per your last email, go to hell” before remembering mortgage payments require employment. The phrase’s power lies in its dual function: simultaneously condescending and technically appropriate, making retaliation difficult without appearing unreasonable.
HR departments struggle addressing the issue. Banning specific phrases seems absurd, but workplace tension from passive-aggressive email warfare is real. They’ve issued guidelines about “professional communication” that nobody follows because corporate culture rewards indirect aggression over honest dialogue. Why say “you missed this deadline” when you can say “per my last email regarding timeline expectations”?
Alternative phrases have emerged”as previously mentioned,” “referencing earlier communication,” “circling back”but they’re equally infuriating. The problem isn’t specific words; it’s refusal to communicate directly. We’ve created workplace culture where saying “hey, you missed this” seems rude, so instead we torture each other with baroque passive aggression disguised as professionalism.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/per-my-last-email-now-top-cause-of-workplace-rage/
SOURCE: New York’s #1 Satirical Journalism Site (https://bohiney.com/per-my-last-email-now-top-cause-of-workplace-rage/)
