If the IT department at my job is in the process of setting up an email address for me, can it force me to change my last name because its policy doesn’t allow hyphenated names?
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If the IT department at my job is in the process of setting up an email address for me, can it force me to change my last name because its policy doesn’t allow hyphenated names?
I am a new employee. Current practice is the use of the employees last name followed by their first initial. However, my last name is a hyphenated name. Even without the use of the hyphen, the IT department will not allow me to use my name. They are telling me that I have to chose my maidan last name or my husband’s last name but neither are my legal name. I have been hyphenated for 21 years. I realize that some women have legal hyphenated last name but alternate their use of their name. I have always used my hyphenated name as it is only 8 letters.
Asked on July 6, 2015 under Employment Labor Law, Wisconsin
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
They are not forcing you to "change" your last name--they are simply setting out the parameters of an acceptable email address on their system, which is their perogative. They could have made the email addresses based on first names, on middle names, on initials, or job descriptions (e.g. "[email protected]") or anything else they like. It has no legal effect on you, or any effect at all other than on this email address, and again, is well within their rights, since they can assign any email addresses they like to company comployees on the company system.
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