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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

something's not right with a guy at work who declares himself straight in work email signature

243 replies

Mumof4worried · 26/04/2015 07:49

There's a particularly unpleasant guy at work, senior manager and acts like he is above everyone. I've annoyed him as I treat him like everyone else and don't just drop everything to help him when he asks.

Anyway he has an email signature that says "I'm a straight ally and support LGBT rights" and it has a little rainbow button.

Aibu to think that's not quite right? Who cares about who he fucks? And its 2015 not 1960 he's just stating the normal position of people.

Does anyone here work in HR? Could it be he's been disaplined on something and had to do a course and stick this in?

OP posts:
OrangeMochaFrappucino · 26/04/2015 10:59

I seriously dislike the concept of a working lunch. People are entitled (by law!) to a break in a normal working day and to expect people to give that up because theydon't have plans beyond getting fresh air is really unreasonable, in mt opinion. People work better and feel better if they take a proper break. I hate the culture that expects employees to give up their personal time at the drop of a hat, otherwise they aren't viewed as committed workers. A working lunch is just a way of taking away someone's lunch break, to which they have a right. You shouldn't have to justify not taking it.

(I'm a teacher, btw, and I do work through lunch a lot of the time but that's my choice of how to manage my workload - I wouldn't be happy if I was summoned to a lunch time meeting.)

Crocodopolis · 26/04/2015 11:04

As a general rule:

If you are dismissed for cause then you will most likely not get any kind of pay-off.

If your position is made redundant, then your company should make every effort to re-deploy you. If they are not able to do this, then you are eligible for a redundancy payment.

ilovesooty · 26/04/2015 11:05

Of course everyone's entitled to send should take a lunch break, but if someone can't attend meetings because of childcare and is at risk of dismissal for poor performance it doesn't seem too bad a suggestion in that context.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 26/04/2015 11:06

Yes sooty, I realized I hadn't read a lot of the thread after I posted. I just hate the phrase 'working lunch'.

ilovesooty · 26/04/2015 11:08

I'm not keen on it either Jelly but it sounds as though they're running out of options and strategies with this employee.

TattyDevine · 26/04/2015 11:37

In fairness I don't see anything here she can be sacked for. Being in the bottom 25% might get her moved, or packaged out, but straight out sacking? Its not that easy, unfortunately, to get rid of people with employment contracts. Depending what that contract says.

Bad attitude, no, there needs to be a bit more to sack her.

FriendlyLadybird · 26/04/2015 11:54

Most employment contracts that I've had include a clause about responding to any reasonable requests made by senior management. This doesn't seem to be something that she's inclined to do -- but the company would probably find a compromise agreement easier than a sacking.

TedAndLola · 26/04/2015 11:55

I got an email from a client with a signature like that - "I'm a straight ally supporting LGBT rights" or something similar. I did think it was odd and not entirely appropriate to discuss sexuality in a work signature, but I didn't give it any more thought than that.

Sazzle41 · 26/04/2015 12:07

Its not a huge corporate right as the policy is no personal statements on company email - and someone who worshipped Maggie Thatcher and put her in his powerpoint presentation got erm... talked to, at mine.

As to why he does .. is he trying to be very right on? Did someone pull him up on a dodgy comment and he is arse covering for legal/HR reasons? Is he your Diversity Champion?

Our Mental Health champion doesnt put it on his email unless he is emailing about... mental health in the workplace. As to the working lunch, as long as its not every day, I would. He is senior to you and therefore surely you have to suck it up, show willing and, give him the timely respones which as senior managers he is due in a work situation.

GraysAnalogy · 26/04/2015 12:20

Well our Dementia Ambassador has the Dementia Friends logo on his. All workplaces are different.

ThisOneAndThatOne · 26/04/2015 12:28

It's a standard endorsed logo in my company.

You would get a big Confused and Hmm and Shock on my company if you raised it with HR.

Stinkystinkypoopoohead · 26/04/2015 12:33

Just for balance, a friend of mine as this in her email signature too as it is a role she performs for the company. So kind of like

Joanne Bloggs
This department
That company
Phone

I am a straight ally supporting LGBT rights

Could this be the case for your senior manager?

BoneyBackJefferson · 26/04/2015 12:41

TattyDevine

I would have thought that fishing for information and causing rumours about another staff member would get you fired.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:45

putting something like that in a professional signature is barking mad: there is no good explanation for it. none whatsoever. nothing to do with work; nobody 's business and embarrassing all around.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:46

oops new phone. ..

BoneyBackJefferson · 26/04/2015 12:47

ovienna

It would depend on the company policy.

letscookbreakfast · 26/04/2015 12:48

Actually as several posters have pointed out there are very good reasons for the manager to have it in his signature.

OVienna · 26/04/2015 12:53

I personally take the view that it's not appropriate for work email. The next guy could be calling Turks war criminals because they support Armenians- where do you draw the line with people using work emails as a platform for their views whatever they are- take to twitter/Facebook whatever.

ilovesooty · 26/04/2015 12:58

Well OVienna presumably you don't work for a company putting equality and diversity at the heart of what it does?

kali110 · 26/04/2015 12:59

Can't understand why they would want to sack you Hmm