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

[Peakhim]

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??

Enforcing a standard when it's not necessary is restrictive though. Fine, if your organisation has decided it needs one, but if there isn't a problem with people's individual choices, let them carry on.

You’re contradicting yourself. You say there’s no problem with individual choices, yet the topic here is just that - an issue people are creating with individual choice in a signature. If it’s genuinely not appropriate, why not have a guide to what is?

At the end of the day you’re his line manager. Instead of cringing about his wanky email signature and the fact that this is causing ridicule, do what a good manager does and manage the situation with a bit of maturity. Talk to him. Explain that putting qualifications in email signatures isn’t necessary and could cause bad feeling.

Again for clarity - manage the situation.

It's not rude but tres wanky.

I'd like to have the skills to devise the algorithm that would indicate wankiness and job dsecriptions. I work in education and larf when emailed by certain parents from their workplace. Like I am so intimidated by your life coaching job. Or nutritionist clinic. Or journalist for a national newspaper.

I. Don't. Care. It's not relevant, because I'm emailing you in your capacity as a parent.

My workplace is very strict about what can be put in an email set up for these reasons.I adhere to my employer's requirement in emails.

Just remind the annoying colleague of the employer rules.

I don't want it to look petty or like bullying.

Even though it is?

As his line manager "not joining in" isn't enough, you set the tone and culture for the team which apparently feels its ok to sneer at someone for an email sig. which would be totally normal in many industries and fields.

If there are issues with his job performance then deal with those issues as his line manager.

Op, the thing is, if you had a member of staff who put, 'Emma Smith, Creative Little Powder Puff with a Fab Personality and Penchant for Green Tea' you would have 50% of posters disagreeing you are wrong to pull her up on it and she is free to express herself, etc. etc.

Do what you think is right. FWIW, it sounds like he lacks awareness of company protocol which doesn't bode well. It's best to try and fit in with everyone when you start a job. You can try and reinvent the wheel after you have sussed the lie of the land.

It’s quite common in the banking industry to have your degrees on your business card; and email

Really?! I've worked in the City/Canary Wharf for over 20 years and have yet to see a business card or email signature that has someone's degrees on

I agree. I've worked in the City for a similar amount of time, and can't recall seeing degrees on business cards. CFA is normal though. (I'm talking about investment banking/fund management thought - it may be different in retail banking or insurance.)

"If it’s genuinely not appropriate, why not have a guide to what is?"

Yes, a guide is fine e.g. an example that others could follow, but don't have to follow to the letter. What you said originally was that a standard signature should be enforced, which is not the same thing as having a guide.

It wasn’t me who said that actually. But I don’t disagree with it. Why not have a standard signature?

Where did I say I allow people to laugh at him? I'm not really in a position to police what others say when it's just fleeting comments but I certainly don't join in and would act if it got worse.

Actually, as a manager you can tell people that poking fun of other members of staff isnt ok.

At what point would you act?

A decent manager would have just tackled this. Explained it's not the done thing/ not following the template and sorted it.

Is he defensive or does he feel defensive, because you are a poor manager and sound like you have a problem with him?

Yes, as I said he's newish. No one laughed at it at first but it's as other aspects of his performance have come to light that this has started to rile people.

if his performance is not up to scratch, maybe you should focus on that? I guess he is still under probabation. If he is not up to the to the job, let him go. No need to get wound up about the signature.

No, of course she didn't include it for me. I have no problem with anyone being ahead of me academically but did run into people at work who assumed I was a bit thick because I was a PA. I'm late forties now so I went back in the day when it was much harder to get in.

You dont really get it though? You are doing exactly what you presume she is doing.

If someone else achievements make you feel bad. That's your issue.

Saying 'well I went when it was harder so therefore I am actually better', is doing exactly that same as what you think she is doing. When she may not even think about you at all.

I dont have a degree at all. People can talk about their degrees all day long if they want. Doesnt make me feel insecure or like they think they are better than me.

I work in a v hierarchical environment. It's Prof or Dr for academics as they have phds anyway, folliwed by academic specialism, awards, department, contact details.

My signature is full name, prof quals, job title department.

Nobody puts their degree. All staff use first names apart from that.

The real status parade happens when we all gown up for graduation

Quiet word op, that's all that's needed

All the people saying they wouldn't put it and sneering at it on Facebook. Why shouldn't you put your qualifications after your name if you are proud of them?

Everyone has a different way to show pride, that doesn't instantly mean that person is a knob, twat or wanker as some have put on this thread.

This smacks of jealousy and rudeness on these posters part. Also why are the British so bloody uptight to even be thinking about the motives behind putting your qualification on a work email. Strange if you put it when requesting a Drs appt or talking to your child's school but surely work is where it should be used.

In the US, they show their titles everywhere, they have none of this fake humbleness because that's all this is. Fake humbleness and jealousy.

Hes got a degree. Relevant to the job or not he can tell people about it if he wants. You will come across as a massive twat if you tell him to take it off.

Do you have a degree op? You seem jealous!

We have a standard email signature, includes full job title and qualifications, policy also specifies the font, size, colour and layout. There is essentially a template you personalise. It's a large organisation and it ensures consistency. If he's worked in similar places he will think his signature is the norm

In what world would it be rude? You really don’t like him, do you?

I work in education and larf when emailed by certain parents from their workplace. Like I am so intimidated by your life coaching job. Or nutritionist clinic. Or journalist for a national newspaper.

That says way more about you than them. Its bizarre to assume that theyre using their work email to intimidate you. Theyre probably using their work email for convenience and couldnt give a shit what you think. I

Oh, ok. It's only me who read this hoping it's the shart goblin's new job.

Putting your job title is completely normal but I’ve never come across anyone putting their degree(s). That seems very weird. But I suppose it depends on the industry. We have a standard email signature that we have to stick to- regarding font, layout, colour, etc.

Your workplace sounds fucking awful.

Tackle the performance issues professionally, if you can, and leave the jealousy over his qualifications out of it.

It's a bit cringy, but I wouldn't say anything. He may be very proud of his qualifications or he may have just filled in an email signature template thing and put the quals in the relevant box, I; ve come across that before.

A girl I went to uni with started signing all her cheques 'Jane Doe, B.A.' after we graduated . Now that was cringy!

I actually wonder if you work at my DH's workplace. They have a new colleague who has also done this, same level of qualifications. He is quite young and sends a lot of very 'professional sounding' internal emails advising other staff (also more qualified) how do do basic things like turning off lights and computers, long emails about his heroic actions to draw attention to a leak in the roof, etc etc etc. DH and other senior staff are (quietly, privately and affectionately) finding it extremely funny. Is there a funny side you can see?

He might feel very proud of his degree and job is he newly qualified and newly employed. Other staff laughing about him and you as a manager making such a deal of it is nasty and bullying. I would expect you to tell the staff to keep their opinions to themselves and support someone new to the company.

Sign offs are quite often decided by line managers, or above, or standardised across an organisation. I think a line manager would normally be expected to give guidance on this sort of thing, though how and to what extent will depend on your organisation's culture so you could check that with your HR department or your line manager?

Mogon Fox-Night

SAHM MD (masters in drudgery)