Often, yes. "Sorry to bother you" is meant as politeness, but to native US, UK, and Canadian colleagues on an international team it reads as a reflexive apology for taking up space — a junior tic, not warmth. It labels your own message a "bother" before you've asked anything, and it makes you sound unsure whether you're allowed someone's time. Senior people ask directly and warmly. Open with the question, or a light "Quick question:" instead.
Leading with an apology feels like the considerate move, especially if you learned that deference reads as professionalism. So fluent professionals carry "Sorry to bother you" into Slack and email with full confidence. But asking a coworker a question is normal — that's the job. Apologizing for it tells the reader your questions are a burden, which they aren't.
One "sorry" when you've genuinely interrupted someone is fine. The issue is opening with it by default, every time, so it stops being an apology and becomes your register. That's what reads as tentative.
Open with the question, not an apology for asking it:
Instead of
"Sorry to bother you, but do you have the latest figures?"
Write
"Quick question — do you have the latest figures?"
"Quick question" respects their time without apologizing for asking; you still sound considerate, not tentative.
Instead of
"Sorry to bother you, I just had a small doubt about the deck."
Write
"Hi — one thing on the deck I want to check with you."
Naming the thing directly reads as confident; "sorry, just, small" stacks three softeners that make you sound unsure.
Instead of
"So sorry to keep bothering you about this."
Write
"Following up on this — when's a good time to sync?"
A follow-up is normal and expected; apologizing for it tells the reader your questions are a burden, which they aren't.
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