Everything you post is a reference
Assume any post, comment, review or reply could be read by a future manager, a customer, or the person you are talking about. Employers do look. Privacy settings help, but screenshots travel.
- Never post photos taken inside the workplace without permission — customers, registers, schedules and paperwork all leak information.
- Never name a customer, colleague or employer in a complaint post.
- A professional-looking handle and a plain email address (firstname.lastname@) cost nothing.
- Search your own name once a year and clean up what you find.
Writing an email people take seriously
Clear subject line, greeting, the ask in the first two lines, the detail underneath, a sign-off with your name. Short paragraphs. No slang, no all-lowercase, no wall of text, no emojis until you have seen your workplace use them first.
- Reply within one working day, even if it's only "got it, I'll come back to you Thursday".
- Use reply-all only when everyone genuinely needs it.
- Check the recipient before you press send, especially on anything critical.
- Attachments: name the file properly and actually attach it.
Tone in chat is easy to get wrong
Text strips out tone, so people fill it in — usually badly. One-word replies read as annoyance. Periods on their own can read as anger. If something feels tense in writing after two messages, move it to a conversation.
- Work group chats are work. Use the same standards as you would face-to-face.
- Don't send anything you would not say to the person's face.
- Never vent about a shift in a chat that includes colleagues — it always gets back.
- Respect people's off-hours; not everyone can mute notifications.
Video calls and remote basics
Join a minute early, test audio, use a plain background, mute when you are not speaking and unmute properly before you talk. Camera on for interviews and one-on-one meetings unless told otherwise. Look at the camera when you make your key point.
Security, privacy and AI
You are handling other people's data. Treat it like cash.
- Never share passwords or your login. Never use a colleague's account.
- Lock the screen when you step away; log out of shared devices.
- Phishing: check the sender address and never approve a login request you didn't start.
- Do not paste customer details, payroll data or anything confidential into an AI tool.
- If you use AI to draft something, check every fact and rewrite it in your own voice.
Handling conflict online
If a customer posts an unfair review, do not reply yourself unless it is your job. Tell your manager. If you are harassed or bullied online by someone from work, screenshot it, keep it, and report it — the same rules apply as in the building.
