It is widely believed that emoticons have no place at work. They are viewed by many as unprofessional and childish.
That said, I'm guilty of being one of the people who uses them. I don't put a flower next to my signature text or add cute little puppies or even sad faces.
But, I have used a "smiley" face to soften my response. By that I mean often when one of my bosses sends me a request that I can't get to right away (because I'm doing something for one of my other five bosses), I will reply with something like "Once I complete my filing, I will turn to that." (smiley face)
My purpose is to let the person know that I'm not putting them off or exasperated that I'm being stretched too far (because that would never be the case - insert sarcasm here) but because I want to "de-escalate" what could turn into an email exchange that goes all wrong.
Which is a big problem with email exchanges. They often go all wrong. If the person is close-by or doesn't have their office door closed, I will often stick my head in the door to let them know that I received their request and will get to it as soon as possible.
The art of communication is a lost art. And I'm going to go out on a limb and blame email in part for that. Although the biggest offender is texting!
Seriously, I've read so many articles in the last few weeks about how emoticons have no place in the office, that I've decided to include a cartoon caricature of myself right next to my name in the "From" line.
Just kidding. Smiley Face.
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