Signing off “with ‘love”
The work-from-home system has wrought changes in official language. The tone of communication is very casual and superficial.
Communication has become a lot more easy-going, thanks to people extracting themselves from professional work settings and working from home instead
Many young people have come into the workforce during the pandemic and haven’t really had professional orientation. Also, life has become fragile and people are getting emotional “There is no harm in using a ‘love you’ or a ‘take care’ as an informal ending for a phone call with a friend, but it’s certainly not nice to end a professional communication like that.”
— Asha Gupta, a tourism expert
“We needn’t be frivolous in the way we use language. Saying ‘love you’ or ‘love you too’ when you don’t mean it counts for nothing. Especially in the work environment or while talking to colleagues, there is no need to sugarcoat anything.”
— Durva Rajaratnam, Professional coach and
design expert
The pandemic has changed not only the work ambience, but also the concept of ‘professional language’. Increasingly, official calls and e-mails are ending with casual endearments, rather than the more formal sign-offs.
“The tone and tenor of communication are a lot more easy-going, thanks to people extracting themselves from professional work settings and working from home,” says marketing expert Meena Chabbria.
Agreeing with this observation, Shweta Ravi of RR Donne Biryani and Adyar Ananda Bhavan, says, “Many young people have come into the workforce during the pandemic and haven’t really had professional orientation. Aside from that, life became very fragile and people started tapping into their emotional side.”
The question is, are we detracting from the connotations of the word ‘love’ – the most personal and intimate thing we say and mean – by using it to simply signal ‘goodbye’? Or, are we meaningfully spreading cheer in a troubled world?
Asha Gupta, a tourism expert who works with the government, says, “There is no harm is using a ‘love you’ or a ‘take care’ as an informal ending for a phone call with a friend, but it’s certainly not nice to end a professional communication like that. Then again, it depends on which sphere you work in. There are some industries that are more casual. And friendships can be firm even at the workplace.”
The philosophical soul may ask, ‘Should we be stocking up our love or sharing it generously? Will the world be better with love that is sparing or splashed around?’
Professional coach and design expert Durva Rajaratnam says, “We needn’t be frivolous in the way we use language. Saying ‘love you’ or ‘love you too’ when you don’t mean it counts for nothing. Especially in the work environment or while talking to colleagues, there is no need to sugar-coat anything. At the end of the day, companies and institutions don’t pay you to be unduly spreading love.”