Apologising At Work: What To Say When You've Got It Wrong

Apology messages for work

A work apology has a different job to a personal one. It needs to be quick, specific and forward-looking, and it needs to stop the thing happening again.

Wording below for colleagues, managers and clients, plus the phrases that make an apology sound like a legal disclaimer.

Cards for the office

Blank inside, for the apologies and thank yous email cannot carry.

You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) £3.87 Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him £3.87 I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Diet Coke Ever (Valentines Day Card) I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Diet Coke Ever (Valentines Day Card) £3.87 Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) £3.87 Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad £3.87 Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) £3.87

Browse thank you cards

To a colleague

  • I was short with you in that meeting and it was not fair. Sorry.
  • I dropped this and it landed on you. That should not have happened.
  • Sorry for the confusion - that was my error, not yours.
  • I should have flagged it earlier and I did not. Apologies.
  • I took the credit for something that was yours. I have corrected it.

To a manager

  • I missed the deadline. Here is where it is and here is the new date.
  • That was my mistake. I have fixed it and changed the process so it does not repeat.
  • I should have raised the risk sooner rather than trying to solve it quietly.
  • Apologies for the oversight - it will not happen twice.

To a client

  • We got this wrong and we are sorry. Here is what we have done to fix it.
  • Thank you for flagging it. The error was ours, and this is the correction.
  • Apologies for the delay in coming back to you - here is where things stand.
  • That fell short of what you should expect from us.

Phrases to avoid

  • Mistakes were made - nobody says who made them.
  • I am sorry if anyone was offended - conditional and hollow.
  • As per my last email - not an apology, and everyone knows it.
  • Long context before the apology. Lead with the sorry.

When a card beats an email

  • When a colleague covered for you at real personal cost.
  • When someone stayed late repeatedly to fix something you caused.
  • When the apology is also a thank you.

Browse thank you cards

How to write it so it lands

  • One apology, then move to the fix. Repeating it drags everyone back to the mistake.
  • Never apologise for something that was not yours. It muddies who owns what.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

How do you apologise professionally?

Lead with the apology, state the specific error, say what you have done to fix it and what changes next time. Keep the context short.

Should you apologise by email or in person at work?

In person for anything between two people, email where a record helps - for example a client correction or a missed deadline your manager needs to see.

Is it weak to apologise at work?

No. A clear apology with a fix attached reads as accountability. What damages credibility is a defensive non-apology.

Back to blog