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

[Mumof4worried]

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?

Boney it might get her a verbal warning, a written warning, or a final warning, but without that process first (assuming she hasn't had any of these first), its hardly gross misconduct and I'd be amazed if you could get sacked on the spot for it. Have you ever worked for one of these large companies? Takes ages to get rid of the dead wood, its a real challenge.

Baloney.

Well I hope you don't anyway.

If a manager wants a working lunch then that's fine but there ought to be some notice given. Employers don't own people and workers are entitled to spend their lunch hours as they please. Management has the rest of the working day to discuss whatever it is that they deem so important.

As for the signature - I think it's inappropriate in a working environment. I think people should focus on their jobs and leave their opinions to outside of work.

If it's a corporate approved signature I don't see what's inappropriate about it.

tatty

You missed out suspension due to harassment of a colleague.

Eh? Who was suspended for harassing a colleague?

I've clearly missed the UKIP and harassment bits.

As for people suggesting that they someone calls themselves a straight ally because they don't want people thinking they are gay, that isn't true. It just that some people can't understand that you can be straight and support gay rights. It just saves conversations with narrow minded people.

The UKIP bit came from another thread. (Not sure if it is MN etiquette to mention it; am doing so only in response to your post, Pipbin.)

What a load of rubbish ovienna. His signature is basically in line with government policy, UK law and diversity teaching. The only objection seems to be his mentioning of being straight. What the hell are you referring to?

Can someone explain to me this straight ally thing where it's part of a workplace campaign?

Surely it puts closeted LGBT people in an awkward position, given that they might feel the need to come out in a situation they didn't want/feel the need to, or to lie and call themselves 'straight allies', to avoid looking like a homophobe/miserable git who doesn't want to play along? Or is there just a handful of self-nominated 'straight allies'?

I believe it's self nomination, nobody is forced to do it.

Where are you getting an element of compulsion on others from, just because one manager makes a statement?

I work for a huge multinational corporate (also Stonewall top 100). All email signatures must be approved at v v senior level by committees. We have a diversity network, which I am part of (as are literally 100s of other worldwide). All of us who are members of the diversity network were told that if we want, if we identify as "straight allies" (following training on what that means!), we could add the email signature the OP had mentioned. This signature has been signed off at top senior level- you can have it or not, as you choose- but you can't modify it (at all- not even font size, colour etc). So to have the signature I have to self identify as straight. I have chosen to do so, and therefore I have it, because I like the idea that it could be useful to any colleagues wary of coming out at work.

I hope clients dont think, as some have said upthread, that it's innappropriate- but I assume as its been offered to the whole company this has been deemed by senior management to be unlikely.

Oh in response to qus upthread- it's 1) voluntary to be part of the LGBT/diversity network, and 2) separately voluntary to have the e signature

And it's more common not to be a straight ally- I suppose we are like diversity champions- so if you were LGBT but closeted no one would assume your were homophobic!

Sorry OP, I think you are hoping for redundancy / compensation, but you won't get that with this weirdly spiteful approach to your manager.

You should have just done your work properly, been sociable and cooperative to colleagues, especially to managers.
You would have remained a useful employee and your job would be safe, or you'd get a good ref if you decided to move on.

Paid employment isn't a democracy: if your manager asks you to do something, then that has priority. If you're busy on another task you consider is more urgent, you could ask if it's ok to finish the other work first, but then accept the manager's answer.

If a manager invites you to a working lunch, it is normally about something important. Anyway, it's a great opportunity to express your views & concerns, outside the normal work environment.

Also, it is the position - and not the person - that is redundant. If the position is no longer needed, then the person is redundant.

Aren't you on another thread complaining that people don't respect your democratic rights? Something along the lines of because you have publicly supported UKIP, people are now rubbishing your other ideas?

I think democracy also covers being able to express an opinion on things other than politics, in this case LGBT rights.

If there is a problem with his email signature I am sure someone within his reporting line will pick him up on it. If you 'love democracy' as you have commented on your other thread, I am sure you will be supportive of this man and his rights to be open and honest about his beliefs as you would wish others to be supportive or at least respectful of your belief in UKIP.

There is a lot of uninformed bull here. I never mentioned anything about getting a redundancy, I said package and I will get offered one (tomorrow!). They have given no warnings so couldn't go down dismissing on performance anyway.

References - I will get the exact same hr reference that they give everyone. Previous managers will give me glowing references.

Lastly I just thought the SIG was weird, still do. Declaring your sexuality and your support for lgbt on every single work email you send.

So you haven't established that this is a corporate approved signature.

You'll be getting an agreed reference by the sound of it, that potential employers can spot a mile off and can see for what it is.
Previous managers? Not your most recent employer. Difficult to say how valuable their input is likely to be.

You sound pretty arrogant and a bit of a nightmare to work for.

It obviously will be approved as others have heard of ot, doesn't stop it being weird.

No let me repeat it I will get the exact same reference that hr give to everyone. I will have personal references from people I've worked with for years including this year, not some nob I've only been working with for a few months.

ilovesooty
You'll be getting an agreed reference by the sound of it, that potential employers can spot a mile off and can see for what it is.
Previous managers? Not your most recent employer. Difficult to say how valuable their input is likely to be.

OP has been with this employer 10 years. I think OP may not realise just how much workplaces have moved on - partially forced by economic circumstances and partially because employers have used economic circumstances as an excuse to streamline and tighten up.

Good luck to OP for her future career, but I have a feeling there'll be some unexpected downsides to moving on.

OP you may want to bear in mind how easy it is to be dismissed in the first two years of employment (probably will become easier still if Ukip get any say!) so you might want to have a rethink of some of your attitudes when joining a new employer.

YABU by the way.

So you're expecting your recent poor performance not to be revealed to potential employers?

A generic HR reference won't impress anyone. It's what goes out when they're glad to see the back of a difficult employee.

"Some nob"? Charming. I can only imagine how you'll come across at interview especially if there's any discussion about why you left your previous role.