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??

I worked bloody hard for my degree.

I was a single parent, and was old. It was fucking hard.

Damn fucking right it’s on my email sig.

That’ll be the email sig of the uni that has enough faith in me and my project to allow me to be a PhD researcher, and is paying me so to do.

It’s standard where I am.

And the minute I get the doctor? It’ll be there too.

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

Get over yourself Wanky! They are emailing from work emails because they are at work! You seriously expect them to personalise an email because the recipient may inexplicable issues with the signature saying what their job is? Get over yourself!

It wouldn't bother me, I see it a lot at my work but they are consultants and gynaecologists so think it's common in medical roles

DC secondary HT has his titles after his name on the main school sign. I rate that fairly poor.

In my old work place, almost everyone had a PhD. Almost no one ever used the title Dr. in email sig.

New workplace is a business envt. No one puts titles after their name. tbh, I've had zero guidance about what my email sig should look like. I copied someone else's.

(new workplace) I asked a few colleagues in a mtg about should my sig say Dr on it, got a unaminous chorus of YES.

Bet there's probably someone out there bristling now at my wanky emails. Can't win, can you?

In my first job in the 1980s I had BSc (Hons) on my business cards (as did others in the company.) But back then having a degree was still somewhat of a rarity. Nowadays it really isn’t necessary unless it’s a requirement of the job, like chartered accountant of whatever.

I was an associate member of the Institute of Quality Assurance as well in the early 1990s and had that on my cards as it was relevant. I didn’t actually send many emails, most of my correspondence with suppliers and customers was by fax, usually handwritten! Seems like a lifetime ago...

Maybe he's proud of it.

I have found that if you talk to educated people, sometines the ones who mention it more have had to fight on the beaches to even get near a university in their lifetimes and it represents a badge of honour for them and perhaps x generations of their family. It isn't always just trying to be grandiose walkers.

*it isn't always just people trying to be grandiose wankers.

Oh dear I don’t really know why it upsets you OP, I had a colleague who did this and he was universally believed to be a try-hard idiot (he was by the way, the degree stuff was just the icing on the cake).

@wankyemail are you being deliberately obtuse? If someone sends you an email from work they’re more likely to see the response because you’re more likely to return the email between 9-5 when they’re logged on. And because at work you’re checking your emails all the time whereas personal emails most people don’t.

Wanky they’re not saying using a workplace email will get them more respect and a quicker response, just that they’re at work so will see any response more quickly on their work email, rather than having to check their personal email account.

My SIL does this .. so funny as they are all just given ones because you pay to join...
So sad, as she thinks it makes her look important.

Thank you just. That’s exactly how it is for me.

I left school and worked in a chippy. Then a corner shop. I had an idea to go further, but my ex didn’t allow it. He had a degree. He had a masters. I would never get anything because I was too stupid. (His words). And after a while, I believed him and became downtrodden.

Going back to education was the bravest most scary thing I’ve ever done.

I don’t have a small dick. I’m a woman. But I do have big hopes and a lot of pride in where I am and I like to see my qualifications to recognise my struggle to myself even.

*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*

Sorry, missed the bit where you wanted me to tell. It's simply that I can't think what else one could infer from at teacher thinking a parent sending an email from their work account, whilst they are at work, is an attempt to intimidate. It's such an extraordinary conclusion that it must be based in a deep dislike of what you perceive as the category of sender.

I repeat - it is incidental that it is from a work email - that is a matter of convenience for the sender. It isn't about you.

justrandom he may well be proud of his degree but it’s generally irrelevant in a workplace environment - depending on the workplace - and therefore looks unprofessional.

The key thing is putting your quals out there when relevant is great; it's wanky when NOT relevant to job. I have a Masters, but it would look very weird if I used that in practically any email sig! Because srsly how does that give my emails as eg a dentist receptionist or an HR professional any gravitas when my studies had nothing to do with these roles?

I think it’s a bit wanky.

I add my professional designation to my email signature because it’s relevant to my job, but I’m not going to add degrees - that would be silly.

In the legal and financial services industry it is standard practice to include professional qualifications and job title in your email. Why is it rude and what harm does it cause?

I have a personal email and one for work. How hard is that?

It is a pain in the arse actually, and at my previous work, I wasn't allowed to check my personal email account whilst at work.

And its just that no-one but you would think it is an issue to send the email from a work account. None of those parents have predicted that you think there is hidden message of intimidation in it coming from a work email.

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

Thats not what i meant. I mean im sat infront of a screen 5/7 days a week looking at my work emails. I dont check or use my personal email all that often.

DOn't worry @PlantPotParrot, no-one but Wanky read it that way. Just like no-one but Wanky would think there is an aggressive intent in sending a message from a work email whilst you are at work.

Thanks slippers!

Where I work our email sigs are set to do this for everyone in a senior position.

I also check my work emails a fair bit more then my home ones.

Also, there are instances where using a work email is actually useful I've done this and I know friends who have as well. It's unsurprising how much less smugly unjust and inflexible on policy matters people can be when the email comes from a national news outlet, law firm, or a company that has a very large contract with them.

Sorry, side-issue but since people mentioned it. I won't drag the thread in that direction.