Employer insisting on name change

tykesi

I think I know the answer to this but just wanted to check with people probably more knowledgeable than me.

Someone I know has started work for a new company this week. There is already a person working in the office with the same christian name as my friend so the company have told her she is to be known by another name. My friend and one other person started at this company on Monday and both have had to ‘change’ their names. There are also quite a few others in the office this applies to. I find it ridiculous that a company can’t cope with more than one person in an office with the same first name. I’m assured this isn’t a joke and the new name has to be used for everything, on telephone calls to customers (government agencies), emails, etc.

Obviously my friend has only just started so is conscious of not rocking the boat, she is looking for another job already but can’t afford to be sacked in the meantime. She did mention yesterday that she is not happy with the situation and would like to be known by her real first name but was told this is simply not an option although she can choose a new name to be known by if she wants.

What are your thoughts on this, I assume it’s legal and while normal for this company just seems utterly bizarre and I keep expecting to hear that it’s all been one big joke on the new girls (hardly funny though). There are about 60 people in the office in total and from what I gather around 20% of these are affected.

alibean121

Sorry 12 people out of a random group of 60 have the same full name?? How on earth has that happened??

tykesi

Sorry, should have been clearer. This is the same christian name, not full name. That's actually what makes is more bizarre, the fact that they can't differentiate between them using their surnames.

OP updated

lemontart

Personally think they cannot force such. After all your name is your legal identity on so may formal documents. If concerned can be call mrs, mr or miss joe blogs

In my last job we had loads of folk with same first name and referred them as david b or david h - just using first letter of surname in conversations, got very tricky with other names but never changed them, down right rude if nothing else.

kitrat

This is insane! Have no idea on the legalities just needed to commnet, sorry!

tykesi

lemontart wrote: »

In my last job we had loads of folk with same first name and referred them as david b or david h - just using first letter of surname in conversations, got very tricky with other names but never changed them, down right rude if nothing else.

To me this would be the sensible option but it seems common sense is lacking in the company in question.

kitrat wrote: »

This is insane! Have no idea on the legalities just needed to commnet, sorry!

Tell me about it, I just can't get my head around how ridiculous it is!

Mista_C

tykesi wrote: »

...although she can choose a new name to be known by if she wants...

If they really want to enforce this I'd be adamant that my name on all company literature is to be Adolf.

CharlotteBarnes

This is the strangest thing I've ever heard of! I can understand needing different names for things like login details but having to change your name is bizarre!

What about doing with surname initials, like AmyB, AmyF, AmyP, etc...?

WestonDave

Probably not illegal - if it was me I'd be choosing something very difficult to spell from the spoken version and vice versa. A lot of Gaelic origin names are like that - so Eilidh for a female name or Eoin for a male. 12 of those floating around the company and they may well see this for being as ridiculous as it is.


I manage perfectly well having the same first name as my boss despite us being in a similar line of work within the company - and although we get the odd person put through to the wrong "Dave" its never been a problem.

Owain_Moneysaver

Victorians used to insist their footmen and housemaids were addressed by names chosen by their employers.

I think it's offensive and if she can't use her real first name then she should insist on being addressed as Mrs Surname.

agrinnall

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

I think it's offensive and if she can't use her real first name then she should insist on being addressed as Mrs Surname.

But then what happens if there are two Mrs Surnames...? All very odd.