10 Tricks for Using Work Email for Personal Communications

In some workplaces, there are policies set in place regarding the use of work email. Often times these policies include rules that forbid the use of company email for sending personal communications. In spite of these rules, the temptation to use that quick and silent means of communique, often lures people into devising ways to send those personal emails without being noticed by the company cyber-spies.

1. Deceptive subject line – Using subject lines like: ‘In regard to your account’ or ‘In response to your inquiry’ are sometimes used on personal emails, in hopes that this will throw others off the track. Inside the email body is where the personal info, really resides.
2. Secret codes – Setting up secret codes among friends is used by the creative mind to send messages and get a few chuckles going at the same time. “The proposal will be ready at noon” could be the code for “I’ll meet you for lunch at noon.”
3. B-2-B – When you have friends or family members that work at related businesses, it can be easy to disguise a personal email as being all business, since the emails are going between two business email accounts.
4. Friendly forward – Sending your personal email to a business associate without the same restrictions and requesting a forward to the intended recipient is another way people might try to keep their personal communication under the radar.
5. Empty the trash – Keeping the company email box clear of evidence is another method people use to avoid getting caught breaking the rules. An email is sent. The copy of the email is deleted from the Sent folder, and then the email trash folder is emptied. The evidence of violation has now disappeared.
6. Interoffice recipients – Not all ‘personal’ communication is directed outside of the company office. Sending of jokes and personal invites is often done via company email without it being questioned at all.
7. Second language – This is probably one of the poorest tricks for sending an email of a personal nature using company email, but at least it might take the office manager or IT staff a bit more time to decipher it.
8. Spreadsheet notes – Who would expect you to send a personal message inside of a spreadsheet attachment? Nothing says business more than an Xcel attachment. Now that’s tricky.
9. BCC – Sending a message to someone in the office and then including a second person in the BCC box could work as one way to get info out of the office without being too overt in your email tactics.
10. Delay sending – Some email programs have a scheduled send feature, which would allow you to compose an email during your workday and not have it actually sent out until after hours, when it would be less noticeable. Waiting and doing your personal email just before work or just after quitting time would accomplish a similar thing.

Please understand that this list of ‘tricks’ is NOT an endorsement or suggestion that you should attempt to use these devices to circumvent company email policies. You could be endangering your job, if you do so. Online personal email accounts are available free and texting from your phone can accomplish a lot of what used to be done through email. There really is no reason to use your work email account for personal messages.

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