What the survey findings say
Most annoying or stress‑inducing phrases
- A survey published via the Perkbox blog (1,928 people) found the most annoying email clichés:
- “Just looping in…” was the top phrase (37 % found it annoying). (perkbox.com)
- “As per my last email” (33 %) (perkbox.com)
- “Any updates on this?” (24 %) (perkbox.com)
- “Just checking in” (19 %) (perkbox.com)
- “Please advise” (8 %) (perkbox.com)
- Another survey (via Insider Media) found:
- “As per my last email” & “just looping you in” irritated about 23 % of UK respondents. (Insider Media Ltd)
- “Not sure if you saw my email” irritated 22 %. (Insider Media Ltd)
- A hybrid/remote‑work survey (by Slack/OnePoll) asked ~2,000 workers and found 65 % said jargon/over‑worn phrases made them cringe. (SmartCompany)
- A region‑specific survey in Egypt found the “top 10 stress‑triggering email phrases” included: “Need this ASAP”, “Per my last email”, “Action required”, “Friendly reminder”, among others. (Egypt Business)
Key themes from the data
- Phrases which imply pressure, urgency, or previous neglect (e.g., “Need this ASAP”, “Per my last email”) create stress or resistance. (Egypt Business)
- Over‑formal or passive‑aggressive phrasing (especially following up in a way that implies the recipient didn’t pick up earlier) is frequently disliked. (The Independent)
- Buzz‑words and corporate lingo (“touch base”, “keep me in the loop”, “circle back”) – while not always strictly email‑specific – also carry strong cringe‑factor in written communications. (Roar!)
- The tone of email (not just the content) matters: how phrasing makes the recipient feel (pressured, judged, passive‑aggrieved) affects engagement, response rates and working relationships. (The Independent)
- There are behavioural consequences: some workers avoid emails, delay responses, or feel drained by tone. (Egypt Business)
Top 10 cringe‑worthy email phrases
Based on the data above and broader context, here are ten phrases you should avoid or use with caution — along with why they trigger cringe.
| Phrase | Why it makes people cringe |
|---|---|
| “Need this ASAP” | Implies urgency/demand without context; can create stress. |
| “Per my last email” / “As per my last email” | Suggests the recipient ignored previous communication; passive‑aggressive. |
| “Just looping in…” | Implies you’re dragging someone into the convo; often used without context. |
| “Any updates on this?” | A follow‑up phrasing that sometimes signals impatience or blame. |
| “Just checking in” | Vague; doesn’t specify what action/response is required; often viewed as filler. |
| “Please advise” | Highly formal; can feel like a demand rather than a friendly request. |
| “Keep me in the loop” | Corporate lingo; implies you weren’t already informed; can feel impersonal. |
| “Touch base” | Buzz‑phrase; often used instead of clear action or purpose. |
| “Let’s take this offline” | Jargon; can feel like “I don’t want to discuss this here” – vague. |
| “Circling back” | Another follow‑up phrase that can feel passive‑aggressive or repetitive. |
Some of these show up across multiple surveys, though not always ranked identically.
Practical tips: how to avoid the cringe
Here are ways you can improve your email phrasing and avoid those annoyed‑recipient vibes:
- Be clear about action & responsibility: Instead of “Any updates on this?”, say “Could you please let me know the status of X by Tuesday at 3 pm?”
- Avoid implying fault: Rather than “Per my last email”, you could say “Just a reminder about the X item we discussed — do you have the revised draft?”
- Use simple, direct phrasing over jargon: Replace “touch base” with “let’s meet for 15 minutes to review…”
- Respect tone & timing: If you ask for something urgent, give context for “why” and a reasonable deadline — avoid default “ASAP” unless it truly is urgent.
- Personalize greeting/closing appropriately: The best survey data suggest simple greetings like “Hi [Name]” and sign‑off like “Kind regards” work best. (perkbox.com)
- Provide context when looping someone in: If you must loop in a colleague, give one‑line summary: “Looping in John here – he’ll take over the budget review from this point.”
- Proofread tone: Emails may be read differently than spoken; what you intend as casual may read as curt or demanding.
- Be mindful of follow‑up frequency: If you’ve sent something and haven’t heard back, a gentle reminder is fine — but avoid piling on with repeated “just checking in” emails without adding new value or deadline.
- Here are 10 email phrases that make co‑workers cringe, along with case study insights and real‑world comments to show why they’re so off‑putting in practice.
1. “Just looping in…”
Why it annoys people: According to a survey by Perkbox of nearly 2,000 people, this was the most hated email cliché, with 37% saying they find it annoying. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: In hybrid‑working teams, phrases like this often signal “I’m dragging someone into this that maybe doesn’t want to be” or “you’re now involved in this whether you like it or not,” which feels impersonal and can reduce engagement. (Roar!)
Comment:“If you want to annoy your co‑worker, tell them you want to touch base about a no‑brainer game‑changer mission statement…” (Statista)
It’s the same idea: language that feels corporate, vague, and obligatory.
2. “As per my last email” (or “Per my last email”)
Why it annoys people: Ranked second in many surveys — 33% in the Perkbox study. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: A survey by Preply found 83% of employees had received passive‑aggressive emails, and phrases like this were top offenders because they essentially imply the recipient ignored the first message. (Preply)
Comment:“A good example is ‘per my last email’ which translates as ‘I already sent you an email on this. Did you not read it?’” (Preply)
It can create ill‑feeling or defensiveness, rather than prompt productive action.
3. “Any updates on this?”
Why it annoys people: In the Perkbox survey: 24% flagged this as irritating. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: Such a phrase often feels like pressure without context (“What’s the update?”) and can trigger stress, especially if the recipient didn’t commit to a deadline or the task isn’t clearly theirs.
Comment: From the list of most hated jargon: “Any updates on this?” appears as a follow‑up phrase many dislike. (The Ladders)
4. “Just checking in”
Why it annoys people: 19% in one study found this phrase annoying. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: It’s vague, lacks clarity of purpose, and may come off as filler rather than substance. In remote/hybrid work, where everyone is time‑conscious, “checking in” without a clear ask can feel like time wasted.
Comment: One blog puts it in its “top annoying email clichés” list. (feelthinkshare.com)
5. “Touch base”
Why it annoys people: In a survey of 1,000 workers by The Access Group, 35% said this phrase was the most annoying in the post‑pandemic workplace. (employernews.co.uk)
Case study insight: The move to hybrid/remote work eliminated many casual drop‑ins and adhoc chats. Phrases like “touch base” attempted to fill that gap—but many employees feel they ended up being jargon‑heavy and lacked meaning. (Roar!)
Comment: From the article:“The phrases highlighted by the survey are about information flow and what you’re missing…” (employernews.co.uk)
So “touch base” often signals missing connection rather than genuine engagement.
6. “Keep me in the loop”
Why it annoys people: 31% in the same survey found this phrase irritating. (Roar!)
Case study insight: This phrase often suggests the sender feels “out of the conversation” and asks to be informed, yet it also implies that they weren’t already looping in. That can feel passive‑aggressive or overly formal.
Comment: The same article lists it among the top office phrases causing disconnect. (employernews.co.uk)
7. “Please advise”
Why it annoys people: Although lower in frequency, this phrase is flagged in multiple lists as overly formal, somewhat demanding. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: From the “10 most passive‑aggressive email phrases” list in Employee Benefit News: “Please advise” tops the list as number 1. (Employee Benefit News) It can feel like the sender is shifting responsibility by saying “you tell me what to do”, which may come across as evasive.
Comment: It ranks highest in passive‑aggressive email phrases – indicating many recipients interpret it as “I’m done – your turn” in a rigid way.
8. “Circling back”
Why it annoys people: It appears on lists of passive‑aggressive phrases. (Employee Benefit News)
Case study insight: When someone writes “circling back”, it often means “I asked you, you didn’t answer, now I’m following up”—which can escalate pressure or guilt without clarity.
Comment: From one list:“8: As per my last email”, “7: Circling back”… (Employee Benefit News)
So this shows up among the top 10 passive‑aggressive expressions.
9. “Just a friendly reminder”
Why it annoys people: Often found in follow‑up or nudging emails; while polite on surface, it can be interpreted as “you forgot/you should have done this already”. (Preply)
Case study insight: Preply’s survey cites “just a gentle reminder” as one of the phrases signaling passive‑aggressive tone. (Preply)
Comment: Using “friendly” in this context can feel ironic to recipients and cause discomfort rather than reinforce goodwill.
10. “Confirming receipt” / “Confirming that I have received this”
Why it annoys people: In the Perkbox survey this phrase (or similar) was cited by 16% as irritating. (perkbox.com)
Case study insight: While small, this reflects the idea of redundant communication: telling someone you’ve received their email is sometimes unnecessary, and doing so routinely can annoy the recipient who may see it as filler.
Comment: One list of “most annoying” ranked this among the follow‑up/filler phrases. (The Ladders)
Overall themes & what the case studies teach us
- Many cringe‑worthy phrases revolve around follow‑ups, implying a lack of response or attention (“as per my last email”, “any updates on this?”, “just checking in”).
- The hybrid/remote work context exacerbates annoyance: phrases meant to preserve connection (“touch base”, “keep me in the loop”) often feel hollow when overused. (Roar!)
- Passive‑aggressive tone matters: Surveys show many employees interpret certain phrases as “you dropped the ball” or “you should have done this”. (Preply)
- Real‑world consequence: The Preply survey found that 23% of people had quit jobs because of passive‑aggressive email behaviour. (Preply)
- Conversations on forums reflect that employees pick up on tone and phrasing in emails and can over‑analyse them. For example:
“I have been in my first job after college … I have been struggling with over‑analyzing my coworker’s emails the past few months.” (Reddit)
This underscores how choice of phrasing can shape perception and morale.
Practical takeaway: How to avoid making your co‑workers cringe
- Be clear and direct: If you need an update, ask specifically “Could you please let me know the status of X by [date/time]?” instead of “Any updates on this?”
- Avoid passive‑aggressive overtones: Instead of “As per my last email…”, you might write, “Just to recap what we discussed on Monday…”
- Use phrases that signal collaboration, not blame: Instead of “Please advise”, you could say “Could you share your thoughts on this?”
- Keep it short and respectful: Avoid filler phrases like “just checking in” without substance—if you follow up, include context or ask for next steps.
- Mind your tone especially in remote/hybrid settings: Because informal office chats are reduced, emails carry more relational weight—so avoid over‑jargon (“touch base”, “loop you in”) unless needed.
- Proofread for intent: Ask yourself—how might the recipient feel reading this? Will they feel empowered or pressured?