English at work: notes, forms, and short messages

At work you use all three language skills. Skills for Success says communication helps you listen to instructions, serve customers, and discuss ideas. Writing skill includes filling out workplace papers such as timesheets or report forms, choosing a tone that fits the reader, and reviewing what you wrote for spelling, meaning, and tone.

Listening at work. If a supervisor gives several steps, write them down. Repeat the steps back: “First I will… then I will… Is that correct?” Asking a question is better than doing the wrong task.

Serving a customer or client (practice). Greet the person, listen to the request, say what you can do, and check that you understood. If you cannot help, say so clearly and offer to find someone who can, when that is allowed at your workplace.

Short written messages. Skills for Success writing steps are: know your purpose and your reader, plan what to include, write clearly, choose a polite tone, pick a simple format (short paragraphs or a numbered list), then reread.

A workplace note might look like this (practice only, not an official template):

> Hello Sam, > I cannot come to my shift on Thursday morning because I have a medical appointment. I can work Friday afternoon if that helps. > Thank you, > [Your name]

Keep private information off group chats and public boards. Do not share a SIN, a password, or health details you would not want widely read.

Workplace Writing and Grammar (Canadian Spelling) covers Canadian spelling and workplace grammar in more depth.