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Original poster

Irrationally enraged by colleague's email signature, or is it inappropriate?

383 replies

Peakhim · 13/04/2019 08:32

I have a newish colleague who has his email set up to give his full name, degree achieved (masters) followed by his full job title. This comes up in all internal emails and his job rarely involves sending external ones.

I think it's wanky and actually rude. No one else does it and many have more qualifications than him. People even comment on it and poke fun. I hoped he would notice by now that it's not done and take it down. It doesn't help that it comes up in really big letters after his normal sign off.

I'm his line manager and wonder whether to tell him to take it off but things aren't going well with him overall so I don't want it to look petty or like bullying.

But fuck, who does that??

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 14/04/2019 21:47

I would tell him it's not the company culture and to remove it as not appropriate.

That would be such a mean spirited thing to do, I'm lost for words.

He's probably in his mid- to late 20s, whole life ahead of him, with a hard won post grad to his name. How shitty would it be to deprive someone of the next generation of their small moment of glory. God knows they need encouragement and inspiration in this depressing economic environment.

ScreamScreamIceCream · 14/04/2019 21:48

I had this in one of the places I worked at. So for one day we all put our various qualifications in our email signatures as a joke. It did spark conversation over different institutions and fields of study. We then left the guy to it as his emails were only internal and the managing director wasn't bothered.

OP if his emails are external then they need to conform to the corporate policy on email signatures and if there isn't one there should be.

Original poster
Peakhim · 14/04/2019 21:51

bevelino I really don't need to state what industry I'm in as I said quite clearly in the OP it wasn't the norm where I am. Hmm I also said things aren't going well with him, so no, I'm not threatened by him. Why is it on MN the only possible reasons you can be annoyed with someone is jealousy or being threatened? I started a thread to see if others feel similarly ( many do, but I accept most don't) and to vent. Is that so hard to understand?

SW6mama I don't think he's done it to be aggressive, where did I say that?

And I certainly don't judge anyone who does this because it's the norm where they are. Tbh, I don't think it would bother me if he was brilliant. It didn't start to really rile until other shortcomings became apparent.

And he's not in his 20s by quite a margin. Not sure where that came from? I think a lot of people on here are projecting.

OP posts:
Kady7 · 14/04/2019 21:52

I think if someone has worked hard to achieve a qualification and wants to have it listed on his professional email signature, that’s fine. Not sure why it makes so many people angry. It’s just an email signature. He’s not hurting anyone. I assume he’s proud of his qualification. I’m surprise it’s such a big issue.

Original poster
Peakhim · 14/04/2019 21:58

Ah I know why people have assumed he's young. It's because I'm a woman and his boss, so I obviously must be a fair bit older than him otherwise that just wouldn't happen, would it?Hmm

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 14/04/2019 22:01

OP you started a thread in the hope you were going to get loads of people agreeing with you and being equally as mean. Opinion is divided.

I estimated his age as mid to lat 20s because that tends to be when people come out of Uni with a post Grad. It actually doesn't matter what age he is, but if he is reasonably young, the last thing he needs is being shamed into taking down a qualification that he has rightfully earned. But you're not going to see the alternative perspective.

Catsinthecupboard · 14/04/2019 22:11

OP, you're his MANAGER. Manage.

That means he'll need your input for both good and bad. Have a meeting with him and discuss it with him professionally.

The fact that you're asking mn about a subordinate does not show you in the best light.

I don't think you're threatened, i think you don't like him, want him to be gone and you may need a few more training sessions about how to gently, without being offensive, discuss email etiquette. Among other things.

winniestone37 · 14/04/2019 22:28

er, you're way too bothered. Blimey you've come to mumsnet over it? I think the one with the issue is you.

Jezebel101 · 14/04/2019 22:54

I get the feeling this guy can do no right and his every move is examined for potential irritants.

happymum12345 · 14/04/2019 22:55

Two people do this where I work-it makes me chuckle!

saraclara · 14/04/2019 23:19

I can't believe this is still going on.

In some places this type of signature is the norm. In other workplaces it isn't. This guy appears to have learned about email signatures in one of the former, and now he works in one of the latter.

FFS just help him out here and explain that it's not the culture at your place.

It's. That. Simple. None of the other details of this story have anything to do with it. They guy's made a mis-step. Help him out.

Duck90 · 14/04/2019 23:52

If no one else in the organisation has their qualifications on their signature, then he is in the wrong. It suggests he is under the impression no one else has managed a degree or masters.

He needs more self awareness to get on in the world.

Duck90 bsc (hons) sewing badge (GGA) shopping (NVQ)

LovelyJubbly67 · 14/04/2019 23:58

You sound like a really crap manager OP, not really in control of your emotions over such a trivial manner. You seem to be carrying some kind of chip on your shoulder. Have you considered asking your employer to send you on people management training?

LovelyJubbly67 · 15/04/2019 00:15

@Tinkobell

"Fgs....I was not talking about some kind of campaign of bullying or ridicule"

Actually you were, that's exactly how it came across.

CrumpetyTea · 15/04/2019 00:42

I think you are over-reacting.
I've never worked anywhere where its normal to put titles and qualifications on (and lots of people have them- some relevant qualifications others not ) and would find it a bit wanky if someone did- but all you need to do is to take him aside and say this isn't how its done here and tell him the standard approach.
If he then chooses to leave it as it is - then you can judge him

And I assumed he was young - not because of your gender but because people tend to be more proud of their qualifications straight after they have achieved them and hence assumed he was more likely to want to highlight them. Your reaction to this was a bit OTT and a bit concerning as to how you are as a manager

MissMoan · 15/04/2019 01:21

This is more a reflection of him than it is of you. If there is a standardised policy in place he hasn't adhered to this. It could also be inexperience shining through. Does he have a mentor?

countchuckula · 15/04/2019 08:06

Someone I know signs absolutely everything, including birthday cards, WhatsApps, memos, and I suspect texts, etc, as ... Dr Jxne Smxth, BSc, MSc, PhD

Grin Now, that's TOO much!

evaperonspoodle · 15/04/2019 08:12

When I see this I usually think they must come from a family where higher education isn't he norm and they are trying to 'signal'. I have a family member who has lots of letters after his name and includes them on all correspondence and his cheque book. None of the letters are actually HE qualifications, it's more along the lines of MBSCA (Member of the British Stamp Collectors Association) His family boast endlessly about it though Grin

Yas1996 · 15/04/2019 08:23

I personally think that it is inappropriate to mention this to him because it is such a small thing and he is not doing anything wrong, whether it annoys you or not. I wouldn’t do it myself but if I did and a manager had a problem with it and told me to take it down I’d be extremely annoyed and upset as there is no actual issue.

He paid for his degrees and worked hard for them for years so why shouldn’t he show them off. If everyone else is too self-conscious to be proud of their degrees (and I include myself in that as I would be self conscious but I also see how irrational of myself it is to be that way) then it’s their problem, not his. He is just ensuring that he makes most of his degrees.

Even if it is just that others don’t feel the need to show off their degrees, that’s their choice but it’s his choice to put it on his emails. It’d be ridiculous to tell him how he should sign his name and that he is not allowed to put his degrees on his signature. He worked hard for them, spent years on them and is currently paying for them so why shouldn’t he.

He worked on those degrees fur a reason and if he wants to put them in his signature then it’s his choice. My colleagues do this and I say good for them.

countchuckula · 15/04/2019 08:30

People have uni titles on their freaking doorbells. Not joking

Shock
downcasteyes · 15/04/2019 08:37

"I have lots of academic qualifications and I’ve always bloody put them after my email signature. I’d never ever twigged it was anything other than completely normal. But then I’ve always worked in academia/medicine."

@WutheringBites - I think it is very sector-specific. Most academics I know have an email signature with their title, position, and latest publications. My DH's university insist on this, and you will get slapped on the wrist by a member of the comms team if you don't have it. I don't think you've committed some kind of faux pas in doing the same.

Longislandicetee · 15/04/2019 08:40

This would make me chuckle, because it’s not the norm in our workplace, where everyone has at least one set of letters and sometimes up to 3. But would it give me the rage? No. I think that’s a slightly odd reaction and I would do some self reflection to understand what my real issue was with him. The irrationality over the email signature is the symptom not the cause.

If it’s causing others to view him unfavourably and would harm his ability to get on, I might lightly mention it but therein lies a while HR mine field that quite frankly is best avoided until you know someone really well.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 15/04/2019 08:52

Ah I know why people have assumed he's young. It's because I'm a woman and his boss, so I obviously must be a fair bit older than him otherwise that just wouldn't happen, would it? Hmm

Are you sure it isn’t just because people assumed he went straight from B.A. to M.A (especially as you specify his family paid)? Also you said yourself ‘I am quite old’, so there was no assumption about your age. You confirmed it. But by all means make it into a feminist issue.

You’ve said this man has performance issues. If there are no set guidelines on email signatures, this isn’t one of those issues. You’ve admitted that the other issues might be clouding your judgement. So tackle them. You’ve been very vocal about people implying you’re a bad manager - get on with proving otherwise instead of rolling your eyes about ‘wanky’ signatures. And remember that a team member’s poor performance can reflect badly on their manager too.

thecatsthecats · 15/04/2019 08:55

Yas1996

This.

A guy I manage does exactly the same thing - he has what is to most, a fairly unknown set of letters, and to anyone external, they'd definitely be a question mark. I think they don't convey very much.

However, they do no harm. I'm not going to be 'that' manager by telling him to remove them! (I have far bigger fish to fry in terms of his self-taught experience in passive aggressive behaviour).

Mindfullness · 15/04/2019 08:58

How mean you come across. What a stupid thing to get cross over!