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You need a report by 2 p.m., so you send a quick email: “Need report by 2pm.”

The message is clear and efficient, but a Canadian colleague might see it as impatient or even rude. In Canada, professional emails tend to be on the formal or casual side. It's not necessary to address a senior colleague as "Sir" or "Ma'am", yet omitting a greeting and a closing can make your message appear abrupt.

As Keely Cronin points out in Email in the Canadian Workplace, email is not only used for sharing information but also for building and maintaining professional relationships.

It shows that the tone is important; a straightforward subject line demonstrates respect for the reader's time, a friendly opening makes the request sound less demanding, and a polite follow-up indicates that you realize a response might take some time.

The difficulty lies in achieving the correct balance: your email should be friendly without being too casual, direct without being demanding, and polite without sacrificing clarity.

WorkSpark’s one-page visual guide below points out common email mistakes newcomers make and shows what professional email communication looks like in Canadian workplaces.