Employee woke up to a 'Termination' email and froze — until he read the rest. He headed straight to HR

An email subject line is like a billboard or product packaging that either attracts people or deters them. On August 13, a person shared a shocking email they received from their HR department, which gave them a mini heart attack just seeing the 'sensational' subject line. What looked like a terrifying 'termination letter' turned out to be a company-wide awareness notification. The screenshot of the email, shared on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, has received over 25,000 upvotes online. 

'You’re fired' (not really)

"HR is using the absolute worst possible subject line in a company-wide email. [I] almost had a heart attack when I first saw it," the employee wrote in the post title. Below the title, they shared a screenshot of an inbox, showing an email with the subject line reading "Termination." The subject line immediately created panic, but in a comment, the person later clarified the whole situation, saying the email was actually written for two people who were being let go by the company for security violations. "But still [they] could have been worded better," the employee added.

Why are subject lines of serious importance?

Numerous studies have been conducted on how vital subject lines are for organizations and marketers. Many have stressed the importance of writing crisp, concise, and action-oriented subject lines over spammy phrases or overly clinical expressions. A joint research by Litmus and Fluent revealed that (54%) the majority of recipients feel cheated or deceived by misleading workplace subject lines. Similarly, a 2022 study by Gartner suggested that 30.4% of people would avoid reading or opt out of emails whose subject lines they felt didn’t align well with the messages inside, according to MarTech.

A 2005 study published in Social Science Computer Review debunked another perspective. A subject line doesn’t always need to include words. In fact, a blank subject line is just as important, perhaps even more so. Researchers reported that emails with blank subject lines generate the highest click-through rates, around 24.2%. In contrast, a study published in the International Journal of Social Research Methodology suggested that a blank subject line is a good bait, but it doesn’t always land the fish. Anything and everything is better than something that triggers a spiral of confusion, caution, or negative feelings in the recipient.

Sensational emails 

Meanwhile, in comments, Reddit readers likened this episode to similar experiences. For instance, u/treetrollmane shared, “My mom sends me ‘call me' with the period. Doesn’t understand how that makes me spiral into everything that could have gone wrong." Similarly, u/snarkshark41191 shared another instance, "My college once sent out a mass email with 'Shots Fired on Campus' in the subject line. It was the name of a lecture that was being held that week regarding gun safety/school shooting procedures. Later that day, they sent out an apology email for creating panic and confusion."

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