The emojis that can quietly undermine you at work
Emojis have become normal in workplace messaging — Slack, Teams, work email, and project tools are full of them. Used well, they add warmth and clarity. Used poorly, they can make you look unprofessional, get misread as passive-aggressive, or accidentally cross a line. This guide covers eleven emojis to be careful with in professional contexts, why each one carries risk, and what to use instead.
The goal is not to ban emojis from work — they genuinely help communication. The goal is to avoid the specific ones that carry hidden risks in professional settings, especially across age groups and seniority levels where the same emoji can be read very differently.
1. The thumbs up 👍
The thumbs up is the most surprising entry on this list. To older workers, it means a friendly “got it” or “approved.” But to many younger workers, the thumbs up has become cold or even passive-aggressive — the digital equivalent of a curt nod. A younger colleague who receives “👍” in response to a detailed message may read it as dismissive.
Use instead: A brief word (“sounds good,” “will do”) or the saluting face 🫡 for “on it,” which reads as warmer and more engaged across age groups.
2. The folded hands 🙏 (in the wrong context)
The folded hands are generally workplace-safe for “thank you,” but they can be misread. Some people see them as a high-five (creating confusion), and in certain contexts the prayer association can feel oddly intense for a routine work request. The bigger risk is overuse — relying on 🙏 for every thank-you can read as performative.
Use instead: Vary your gratitude. “Thanks so much” in words, or 🙏 used selectively for genuine appreciation rather than every minor acknowledgment.
3. The upside-down face 🙃
The upside-down face reads as passive-aggressive in professional contexts. It signals “this is fine (it is not fine)” — exactly the wrong message in work communication. Sending “sure, I’ll redo it 🙃” tells your colleague you are frustrated while pretending you are not.
Use instead: If you are frustrated, address it directly and professionally. If you are not, drop the emoji entirely — it adds nothing but ambiguity.
4. The skull 💀
The skull means “I’m dying of laughter” to younger users, but to anyone who reads it literally — including many senior colleagues — it can look alarming or unprofessional. In a work channel, “that deadline 💀” might be read as genuine distress rather than dark humor.
Use instead: Save the skull for casual peer chat. In broader work contexts, use words or a clearly-positive emoji.
5. The crying laughing face 😂 (with senior or unknown colleagues)
Not because it is offensive, but because it can read as too casual or even immature in formal contexts. Younger colleagues may also read it as generationally out of touch. The risk is low but real in conservative workplaces.
Use instead: Match the formality of the channel. In casual team chat, 😂 is fine. In a message to a senior executive you do not know, keep it text-based.
6. The eyes 👀
The eyes signal “I’m watching this” or “interesting” — which can read as nosy, gossipy, or vaguely ominous in professional settings. Dropping 👀 in response to a colleague’s project update can imply you are skeptical or surveilling rather than supportive.
Use instead: If you are interested, say so directly. If you are acknowledging, use a clearer marker.
7. The clown 🤡
Even self-applied, the clown carries baggage at work. Self-deprecating clown usage (“forgot the meeting 🤡”) can undermine how colleagues perceive your competence. Applied to anyone else, it is openly insulting.
Use instead: Acknowledge mistakes professionally without the self-mockery. “Apologies, I missed that — fixing now” is stronger than self-clowning.
8. The smirk 😏
The smirk carries flirty or smug connotations that have no place in most professional communication. It can read as inappropriate, especially between colleagues of different seniority, and risks being interpreted as unwanted flirtation.
Use instead: Avoid entirely in work contexts. There is no professional use case where the smirk improves a message.
9. Any of the suggestive food emojis 🍑 🍆
The peach and eggplant have well-established suggestive meanings. Using them in work messaging — even innocently, even about actual food — risks serious misinterpretation. This is a category where the safe choice is total avoidance in professional contexts.
Use instead: If you genuinely need to reference these foods at work, use words. The reputational risk of a misread is not worth it.
10. The information desk person 💁♀️
The hair-flip pose carries sassy, dismissive connotations. In a work message, it can read as condescending — “well, obviously” energy. Even when meant playfully, it risks coming across as patronizing.
Use instead: State information directly without the attitude-laden gesture emoji.
11. The thinking face 🤔 (when it implies doubt)
The thinking face can read as skeptical or doubting, which is risky when applied to a colleague’s idea or work. “Interesting approach 🤔” can land as “I doubt this will work.” The skeptical reading can damage collaboration.
Use instead: If you have genuine questions, ask them directly. If you are genuinely considering something, say “let me think about this” in words.
The emojis that ARE safe at work
To balance the list, here are emojis that generally read well in professional contexts across age groups:
- ✅ Check mark: Clear “done” or “approved.” Unambiguous and professional.
- 🎉 Party popper: Celebrating team wins, launches, milestones. Warm and positive.
- 🚀 Rocket: Launches, growth, “let’s go.” Energetic and professional.
- 🫡 Saluting face: “On it” with warmth and engagement. A better acknowledgment than thumbs up.
- 👏 Clapping (used sincerely): Genuine congratulations. Just avoid the sarcastic clap-between-words format.
- 💡 Light bulb: Ideas and suggestions. Constructive and clear.
- 🙌 Raised hands: Celebration and enthusiasm. Positive team energy.
The general rules for work emojis
- Match the channel’s culture. Observe how senior people and the broader team use emojis before deploying your own.
- When in doubt, use words. Emojis add warmth but introduce ambiguity. For important or sensitive messages, words are safer.
- Avoid anything with flirty, sarcastic, or dismissive connotations. These are the categories most likely to be misread.
- Consider the seniority gap. The wider the gap between you and the recipient, the more conservative your emoji use should be.
- Remember cross-generational reading. The same emoji can mean opposite things to a 22-year-old and a 55-year-old colleague.
The takeaway
Emojis are now part of professional communication, and used well they make workplace messages warmer and clearer. But a handful of common emojis carry hidden risks — passive-aggressive readings, generational misinterpretations, or connotations that have no place at work. The thumbs up, upside-down face, smirk, and suggestive food emojis are the ones most likely to cause trouble. When you are not sure how an emoji will land, the safe move is to use clear words or stick to the unambiguous positive emojis like the check mark and party popper. Your goal at work is to be understood correctly, and the wrong emoji can quietly undermine that goal even when your intentions are good.