🎉 Happy World Emoji Day! 🎉

17 Jul 2025

🎉 Happy World Emoji Day! 🎉

But beware, in the workplace, emojis aren’t always as innocent as they look.

A 👍 might feel casual for some but has already been held by a Canadian Court to confirm a binding contract (South West Terminal Ltd v Achter Land & Cattle Ltd). Could a 🥝 Court follow suit?

A 😉 could be friendly banter or cross the line into sexual harassment, depending on context, and the audience.

Even a simple 🔥 emoji might mean “awesome” to one person but feel threatening to another.

Generational gaps can add fuel to the confusion. Older employees may read emojis more literally, while younger staff may treat them as humorous. Older generations may see the thumbs up emoji 👍 as to the point, whereas younger staff might read it as passive aggressive, rude, or in some cases, even dismissive 🙅‍♂️.

The ⚖️ doesn’t always care if you “just meant it as a joke”.

Emojis in Teams, emails, texts, or other messaging formats can be evidence in personal grievance claims or bullying investigations.

When in doubt, spell it out, or your 😊 could become costly evidence.

Emojis are fun, but a costly dispute isn’t. Need guidance? Our employment law team can help you keep workplace communication risk free. ✅