Office enemy now nailed by e-mail

By ANGELA GREGORY

Forget about hate mail - e-mail is the modern way to resolve those tricky office predicaments.

A Victoria University study has found that office workers are using e-mail to avoid face-to-face confrontations and soothe tensions.

Dr Derek Wallace's research on the use of e-mail in the workplace said it allowed people to communicate calmly and reduced conflict.

"From behind their screens they can communicate coolly over the top of their underlying tensions."

But staff could also overuse electronic communication, getting out of awkward conflicts that needed to be resolved in person.

"In the short term, it papers over the cracks but not the long term."

E-mail also helped staff deal with employers without feeling intimidated.

"People don't have to cope with the boss' body language."

An Auckland University tutor in office communication skills, Meryle Hawkins, said e-mail was a critical issue in employee relations.

While e-mail might at times help avoid unpleasantness, Ms Hawkins said it could cause more conflict through the loss of non-verbal cues.

"E-mails are often short and sharp and their directness can seem offensive," she said.

Telecom spokeswoman Linda Sanders said e-mail had revolutionised office communication but it was not always ideal.

"People are still encouraged to use face-to-face communication for sensitive issues but e-mail's faster."

Xtra spokesman Chris Thompson said e-mail use was accelerating at a furious pace, with New Zealanders retrieving about 24 million e-mails a month compared with 11/2 million a month in 1998.