Workplace "Hey Hanging" Causes Employee Anxiety
Bosses may intend 'Hey' as polite, but employees often fear the worst when brief messages lack context. This communication gap can lead to workplace stress.
A simple "Hey" or "Hi" sent via workplace messaging platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams can cause undue anxiety for employees. This phenomenon, dubbed "hey hanging," occurs when the sender intentionally leaves the initial message vague, leaving the recipient to guess the tone or content of the subsequent communication.
The issue has been a recurring topic for some time. Writer Casey Johnston bluntly stated in a 2016 article for The Outline that receiving just a "hi" leads her to assume she is about to be fired. With the widespread adoption of platforms like Slack and Teams, particularly post-COVID-19 pandemic, this problem has become more universal. The average Teams user receives over 150 messages daily, and a confusing opening like "Hey" can add to the anxiety.
Nick Leighton, who hosts a podcast on etiquette, explained that human communication often loses nuance in text format. Brief messages such as "hey" do not provide enough context, making it easy for recipients to develop various interpretations, not all of which are positive. While senders may intend this as a polite way to initiate contact, employees often perceive it as a sign of trouble.
Conversely, some individuals, like Robyn Malone, head of a PR agency, have defended their "hey" habit. Malone told The Wall Street Journal that she uses it as a way to break the ice rather than launching directly into a request, viewing the latter as potentially rude. However, she acknowledges that the practice is not universally appreciated.