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??

It’s our standard email signature at our work. Most people use their professional qualification rather than degree but we have to have full name, qualification, job role

I am struggling with him and have done lots to support him but he's defensive and great at making excuses

Tbh, you came across as defensive and making excuses in that post too. Perhaps one persons making excuses is another person's useful context....

I really cant see how its rude. And being enraged by it seems a huge over reaction

I had a colleague in a different office email me this week with her degree in her email signature. I laughed because A. She's in a lower position to me and B. Who does that? We're in a hospital surrounded by highly qualified doctors and you're including your 2:1 BA honours degree? It's a bit try-hard. I'm good at my job so don't feel the need to add my qualifications. I wouldn't get angry or annoyed just raise and eyebrow and smirk.

I agree with OP. It’s a useful barometer of wank.

Fair enough if it’s standard in your industry, but if your workplace is stuffed with people who have multiple degrees, Doctorates and professional qualifications, putting your first degree on your email signature makes you look like the office junior.

See also - as mentioned above - users of comic sans in bright colours. These were the girls at school who used to draw a little heart above any I’s in their name.

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.

Eh? Unless they begin their email with "I work for a national newspaper, don't you know?" then why assume they're using their job title to intimidate you?

Presumably they're just emailing from the email they use most often!

I highly doubt it's at the forefront of a nutritionist's mind that the person they're emailing about their son's education is going to be impressed. Unless the email is about dietary choices on the school lunch menu.

Some people can be offended even by an email address or an email signature. Who knew?

Totally agree with what NoSquirrels said.

This made me laugh as everyone in my office & industry has letters after their name as we're members of professional bodies we've had to pass exams for. Most of my team include their degrees including myself in our email signatures & I don't think it's wanky at all. I paid a shit load of money for my degree & I'm proud if those letters after my name.

I find it bizarre that you are judging him for including it in his email signature, are you judging it because he's not performing as well?

One of my colleagues has added letters but I can’t bring myself to doing it tbh. Seems a bit extra.

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

Just got to add that it is a bit weird to think that they are doing this to intimidate you. It's their work email. That's why the email tells you what they work as. It's helpful when they are emailing clients or potential clients that they understand who has emailed them.

More than a little bit self obsessed/paranoid to think it was all about intimidating you. And if you have grown to hate/fear parents that much, I think maybe its time to move on to another job...

I had a colleague in a different office email me this week with her degree in her email signature. I laughed because A. She's in a lower position to me

I’d be laughing at YOU for thinking she’d somehow tailored her signature to you to show off when she’s ‘in a lower position’ than you. She probably sends it to everyone.

Is the colleague foreign?
It's really common to put even bachelors everywhere. I mean in country where I am from if you got masters nad higher, you are actually called by that title and surname rather than miss or mrs🤷‍♀️
People have uni titles on their freaking doorbells. Not joking.

I agree it is wanky but it is not rude. It is embarrassing for him.

You could train a chimp to get a degree these days. It proves nothing about your ability in the job and is no better than listing your GCSE results in your signature.

Professional qualifications are a bit more relevant. I would do it in an industry where you need the qualification in order to practice, like financial advice.

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.

Bitching about successful parents is the last thing I’d be doing if I worked in education and had grammar and spelling like that!

I saw a headteacher sign off BA Hons once, really cracked me up.

My industry doesn’t have professional qualifications but most people have PhDs or at least a master’s degree. No one would put them on an email signature though. It would just have your name , without any title, your job title, department and contact details.

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.)

Yes to this, same industry. We are permitted only to have professional/training post nominals. My cards have CFA and my other (totally relevant) professional qual. No degrees allowed though, including MBAs.

Generally if I get an email that has either Doctor, MBA, PhD or IMC as a title/post nominals in the email signature then I know there is a reasonable chance they might be a bit of hard work. My favourite knobber in my office has Favourite Knobber, MBA in his email signoff. Unless they are German where I absolutely LOVE that you can officially & legally call yourself Herr Doktor Doktor/Fraulein Doktor Doktor with their delightfully strange doctorate system.

lol you're a manager who's enraged by an email signature but not bothered by nasty gossip and bullying. I think it's YOU that needs another job

That's why the email tells you what they work as It's helpful when they are emailing clients or potential clients that they understand who has emailed them

I'm the teacher of their children, their jobs are irrelevant. I am not their client.

More than a little bit self obsessed/paranoid to think it was all about intimidating you. And if you have grown to hate/fear parents that much, I think maybe its time to move on to another job

Inferring much? Hate? Fear? Do tell.

I have yet to hear from a parent who posts from work with titles, qualifications, etc. etc. who has not turned out to be a problem/helicopter.

As a parent who is a teacher I always posted from a my private email because I am a parent, my job is not the point.

I worked bloody hard for my professional qualifications and I make no apologies using them on my external emails.

Internal, not a chance.

Lol wanky youve clearly got issues. If i emailed my childs teacher itd be from my work email because im more likely to see a reply quicker not because i care about what you think of my job.

Its not relevant, youre right so just ignore it like a normal person. Id be concerned that someone so self obsessed was teaching my child tbh.

You sound like one of the bully’s OP. You’re making a big issue out of something relatively minor.

The poor guy is just proud of his quals, what's so wrong with that? It might not be the 'done thing' in your office, but so what?
The only reason I can think of for anyone seeing it as 'rude' is if it tiggers some sensitivity of theirs. Does it make them feel inferior? Having a problem with the signature says more about the person with the problem than the guy with the signature.

i once had to advise a team member to change their email signature because it was in pink Comic Sans and had kisses and hearts.

why not advise your team member to change their email signature if it bugs you? is there a company standard format? if not, just make one up for your team/department, tell everyone you manage and you can all get on with your lives.

if you manage this person, then manage them.

Lol wanky youve clearly got issues

So precise. Amazed you didn't write it as ishoos, as it means bugger all.

If i emailed my childs teacher itd be from my work email because im more likely to see a reply quicker not because i care about what you think of my job

As a teacher I reply to parents because they are the parents of my pupils. The fact that you think your job guarantees a quicker reply says so much about your attitudes, and rather proves my point about a certain kind of parent.