8 Phrases Brilliant People Use To Politely Put Someone In Their Place At Work Without Getting Fired
Branislav Nenin | ShutterstockWe've all witnessed drama at the office with a co-worker, unsure of what to say or do. It's normal to worry about getting dragged to HR or getting terminated, but there are ways to politely put people in their place at work without having to fear getting fired.
Workplace expert Chris Donnelly explained that sometimes, passive-aggressive phrases are necessary at work when you need to be assertive over a colleague.
Phrases that politely put people in their place at work without getting fired
1. 'Per my last email'
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This phrase expertly expresses frustration toward a person who either isn't paying attention to their emails or is too incompetent to actually have that job. As Donnelly explained, "What it really translates to is you didn't read it, did you?"
While it's certainly not the problem of the person using this phrase, it's the best possible way to cover all their bases. That way, they don't need to worry about it coming back to bite them or their co-worker trying to throw them under the bus.
According to "It's sacrificing someone else to protect yourself or look good to your boss or client. It can happen when someone feels personally threatened by a co-worker, or when they feel insecure in their role and want to try and ensure they stick around," executive career coach Elizabeth Pearson noted.
2. 'To reiterate'
"This is the corporate way of saying, 'This is your last chance, I'm not saying this again,'" Donnelly revealed. It's the much more polite version of that narrow-eyed look your mom would give you while she was talking on the phone and you wouldn't stop acting up.
While it may come off a bit rude to some people, when you have to repeat yourself over and over again, it's incredibly frustrating and distracting. We're all busy at work, so needing to spend time explaining something in further detail just detracts from productivity.
3. 'I've CC'd [enter name here]'
Because some employees are used to their colleagues trying to get them in trouble, they need to do everything they can to maintain control of the situation. By using this phrase, they're essentially letting their co-worker know that other people are reading this same email, so don't even try to get one over on me.
To take it a step further, someone may even use a phrase like, "If you like we can chat about it with Linda at corporate, but that will be uncomfortable for you," to make sure their colleague understands.
4. 'Thank you for your input'
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Nothing says "you're not an intelligent person and I couldn't possibly care less about what you have to say" quite like "thank you for your input." It's the very polite, corporate-approved way of saying, "please shut up."
Expressing gratitude in the workplace is incredibly beneficial and important. And while it may seem a bit rude talking to a colleague this way, when someone is overly confident about their abilities and is being arrogant, it's the best way to shut it down.
5. 'As a reminder'
Donnelly said, "This roughly translates to 'in case you forgot, which you definitely did.'" It's a workplace-appropriate way of saying, "Make me say this again and I will be furious."
Now, some people may have rude intentions behind this, but for the most part, reminders at work are good ways to promote efficiency and productivity. "Reminders... ensure that work progresses smoothly, preventing delays that could result in both time and financial losses. On a personal level, reminders encourage healthy habits," experts from HR Future explained.
6. 'Respectfully'
When people are frustrated at work and are sick of having to run in circles with colleagues, before they explode and become aggravated, they can use this phrase to calm tensions and put others in their place. As Donnelly revealed, "Don't let this one fool you. It actually means sit down."
This also usually comes at the end of a critique or a disagreement, in order to smooth things over and soften the blow. It's very polite on the surface, although beneath this kind word is often a sense of frustration.
7. 'Moving forward'
"This is a masterpiece of layers," Donnelly explained. And perhaps no phrase says so much while saying so little. These two little words are stand-ins for "this is your final chance, so don't try me again."
It's normal to make mistakes at work, but it's really all about learning from those errors to become a better employee and person. When someone messes up, it may be due to burnout or feeling distracted, but it's not always a bad thing.
"Employee mistakes can be great learning experiences for both workers and employers, as they allow for reflection and analysis of what went wrong... Mistakes can also indicate that an employee is showing initiative and thinking outside of the box," small business expert Miranda Fraraccio said.
8. 'Best regards'
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Usually used as a sign off on an email, this is really just a polite way for workers to stay calm when faced with something frustrating from their co-workers. It's really corporate code for "I don't have a close relationship with you, but wish you well," or, "I really don't like you but I have to be polite, so I'm sending warm wishes."
While nobody is saying everyone needs to be friends in the workplace, using this phrase prevents any worries geared towards job security. By using this in emails, workers can remain respectful but cold, and not spend their time anxious that they'll be fired.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
