Tattletales from the office: When and why should you cc others on an email?

"When someone cc's my boss on an email to me, I feel like I'm in third grade and some kid just told the teacher that I didn't hand in my homework."

Lawrence Smith's reaction to what's a fairly common business practice is probably shared by most people working today. The cc of an email to a direct or indirect supervisor usually has an obvious intention: I'm just making sure you know that your employee isn't pulling his or her weight.

"I cannot stand it," says Smith -- not his real name because, as he puts it, "everyone in my office ccs everyone in my office" -- a Chicago-based sales representative. "I feel like it's a crutch for an employee who doesn't have the (courage) to get up and walk over to me and say, 'hey, what's going on? Are you working on that thing, or what?' Instead, they have to hide behind their computer and act like a little (unprofessional associate).

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