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Original poster

Employers have just decided to bring in name badges - not happy

27 replies

Chocamochalatte · 28/05/2013 13:42

We have just been told we have to wear name badges including our surname.

I am not happy with wearing a badge with my full name on especially in an age of google!

Does the data protection act come in to force at all?

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks

OP posts:
AmandaPayneNeedsANap · 28/05/2013 13:43

What sort of role are you in - public facing?

BrienneOfTarth · 28/05/2013 13:53

It depends on what the job is.

The data protection act doesn't cover this - your name is not considered "sensitive" personal information. Names are generally "in the public domain" anyway. At every work place I've been in (in generally roles which deal with people by email, phone etc rather than face-to-face) I've had my photo on the company web site with my name under it, and when I answer the phone I always say "Hello, [company name], [my-forename] [my-surname] speaking" or similar - I would expect that if I was doing a similar role in a face-to-face context a badge would be a normal equivalent and wouldn't be an issue.

It would only be intrusive, in my opinion, if they expected you to have your date-of-birth and home address on there too!

Virgil · 28/05/2013 15:44

The data protection act isn't relevant here. In fact the data protection act isn't relevant in about 90 percent of the cases when its cited. The DPA is about data processing. Asking you to wear a name badge isn't data processing.

On a practical level though is there a specific reason why you are not happy with people knowing your surname? If for example there were protection/safety issues following the granting of a restraining order then I would suggest that you raise the issue with your HR department. It may be that there are very valid reasons for you not giving out your surname which would be viewed with sympathy by your employer. Until you advise them of the reasons you won't know though.

flowery · 28/05/2013 16:07

What Virgil said.

If you have genuine concerns that are specific to you about why you'd prefer not to have your surname on a badge, do raise these, as there's no reason to think HR/your manager wouldn't be sympathetic.

Other than that, your name is pretty much in the public domain. For most people, unless they have online presence which hasn't been appropriately protected, it doesn't elicit an awful lot anyway.

Original poster
Chocamochalatte · 28/05/2013 19:12

Yes public facing, think university type, am just really uncomfortable about a wearing a badge with my whole name on, can't really explain more than that...

OP posts:
Virgil · 28/05/2013 19:14

Unfortunately I think its just tough then. Its unlikely you can do much about it.

BackforGood · 28/05/2013 19:16

I would have thought there would be the possibility to have a 'professional name' on there (a maiden name say) if there were a reason that you didn't want 'the public' to know your actual name, but it meant people were still able to identify you in a work context.

ExitPursuedByABear · 28/05/2013 19:17

As a security measure my company insisted on everyone wearing a pass with full name and photo on.

Original poster
Chocamochalatte · 28/05/2013 20:05

Yeah we have photo too, guess ill just have to suck it up :(

May choose a fake surname though :)

OP posts:
flowery · 28/05/2013 20:15

Not sure whether you are joking with the last comment..?

missingmumxox · 29/05/2013 00:46

In 1994 i raised this with my employer because I had had phone calls from members of the public due to the fact that my whole name was on my name badge and I was also in the phone book surname quite unusual.
The most Insistent was a man wanting to go on a date with me, Needless to say I didn't!
Was told as a registered nurse I had to be identified so even though I Pointed out that police officers have a number to identify them, so could I have my first name with a number after it , the hospital would not consider it.
I gave up asking by 2000 and 3 jobs later, still don,t like it makes me feel vulnerable.

holidaysarenice · 29/05/2013 01:13

I know this was argued in a workplace in northern ireland on security/sectarian grounds, the compromise was first name and if more than one then initial. It was a fairly small workforce thou

MrsShrek3 · 29/05/2013 01:21

in education settings surely you can have Mrs Bla rather than your full name ?
we do....

Chottie · 29/05/2013 16:52

Full name and pic for me too. It is also used to swipe me in and out of various areas and for car park access too. I am not allowed to leave it around. It has to be in a locked drawer when not being worn.

However, it's amazing how many times, my badge seems to facing back to front Smile

p.s. I do not work for MI5

NotYoMomma · 29/05/2013 20:51

I do remote it support and it comes up with my full name... (it's not supposed to)

I once had to put a guy on hold while I looked into his problem and returned to find him googling me and he found my Twitter.

I was Shock !

saintmerryweather · 29/05/2013 20:55

we have to wear passes with our full name and photo on, its really not a big deal

MrsPoglesWood · 29/05/2013 20:57

I work in a public facing organisation. Our frontline staff are allowed to have their name badges showing a psuedonym. Management must know what the pseudonym is in case of customer complaints but there is no requirement for staff to display their real full names.

Original poster
Chocamochalatte · 30/05/2013 20:11

Thanks for your opinions in this, it's really interesting to hear your experiences with the same.

Although we're in an education type setting its not one where you'd have Mr/s soandso, was seriously considering using a fake surname. However, we have now been told that because a number of people have voiced their concerns over surnames that as our photo is on the ID we don't need surnames. So happy with the outcome.

OP posts:
CaptainJamesTKirk · 30/05/2013 20:17

How interesting?! I've never heard of anyone who has had a problem with this. I work for the NHS. I wear a badge with my photo, title, full name and my job description on it, and the name of the trust I work for! We all do. We'd be easily googleable and are likely to be googled I suppose because of the nature of our job.

SauvignonBlanche · 30/05/2013 20:20

I think the public have a right to know to know my name.

notfluffy · 30/05/2013 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/05/2013 20:23

I'm nhs and we mostly wear ID cards with our full names on. Some people have put a blank sticker over their surname to blank it out as they have unusual surname and were concerned about been stalked. There was an incident which prompted some staff to cover up their surname.

BackforGood · 30/05/2013 20:42

I think your 'take' on this depends a lot on what your surname was.
Now I have a fairly common surname, it would bother me less (I have my name on my work badge) but before I got married, my surname was extremely unusual, and I used to prefer not to give my full name out if I could help it, as I was so easily traceable - not that I was ever doing anything I shouldn't, or anything wrong, but for all the 'searchable' reasons above. (Although was before internet, so I'm talking about such things as phone directories Wink)

BackforGood · 30/05/2013 20:43

Sauvignon - I think the public have a right to be able to identify you within the workplace - ie to contact your manager about you if they need to, but that doesn't extend to them being able to stalk you outside your workplace, which is the difficulty for some people. You have to remember not everyone is as sane as you and me.

SauvignonBlanche · 30/05/2013 21:32

But how do you stop people from being able to identify public servants unless nurses start to wear numbers lie police officers?