It depends what you send and who you send it to. Apparently there is a generational gulf in emoji meanings and what someone sends as a friendly gesture could be taken for something offensive or even sinister. The biggest problem comes when someone like myself – who is now classed as the older generation – sends an emoji to the younger generation – those under 25s. And this is the area that is ringing alarm bells among HR managers and lawyers.

Starting with a simple one, sending a smiley face emoji to someone surely shows you are happy, in a good mood, and smiling at them. Apparently not – it shows passive aggression. In an earlier blog, I looked at how punctuation meant different things to different generations and ending a text with a full stop was seen by younger recipients as demonstrating anger https://www.mikecrutchleymedia.co.uk/make-a-point-and-keep-using-full-stops. 

Returning to emojis, certain plants and fruit pose the biggest risk at the moment. Unless you are discussing recipes, I’m still not clear why anyone would send a peach or aubergine emoji, but both could land you in trouble.

To the younger generation, the peach signifies a firm bottom and the aubergine demonstrates an impressive manhood or is an invitation to sex. Unless you are sending either of those to someone you are romantically involved with, it’s probably best to steer clear.

The skull emoji doesn’t mean the sign of death to younger people, but that something is so funny they died laughing. A clenched fist is not a fist bump but a hard punch – even I got that one – and the manicure emoji means someone is waiting for gossip, not that you like their nails.

And the smiley, winky face isn’t a sign you are joking, but is apparently another sexual invitation.

So if you send a smiley face, a wink and a peach or an aubergine, it won’t just led to an awkward atmosphere in the workplace – it has led to serious accusations, dismissals and lawsuits. With just a few clicks to sign off an email or message, you could become a predatory sexual deviant harassing younger members of staff. Whatever the facts of a case, that’s a difficult label to shake off.

Instead of banning the use of emojis for anyone over the age of 25, help is at hand in the form of an emoji bible. Emojipedia is the gospel to guide us through the high-tech minefield and it’s worth keeping up to date with, especially as meanings can change.

For this reason, it is crucial to know the meaning of emojis, but it is also worth remembering that you need to be professional. Most company communications policies include what is deemed as unacceptable behaviour both in the office, as well as in emails or messages with colleagues, suppliers and customers. The use of bad language, crude jokes or anything deemed offensive can lead to disciplinary action.

Even armed with the emoji bible, in many cases, you don’t know the age of the person you are corresponding with, so you cannot judge how it will be received. In the same way you wouldn’t share a crude joke on a company email to a client, you shouldn’t use emojis that could mean anything rude or offensive. 

You wouldn’t drop into conversation with a client or colleague “you have a tight bottom” or “I’ve got an impressive manhood”, so why send a symbol saying the same thing?

It is this type of behaviour that companies and society have worked hard to change.

There is an argument that there is no place for emojis in professional communications. But we live in the real world and if someone adds an emoji to their message to you, it is natural to reply in kind.

But if you don’t know exactly what something means, don’t send it.

#emojis #HR