Hi Jay,

I don't know why I clicked like this, I don't, how could any understanding person like it, but it registers my having read it..........

Anyway have a cry, and then resolve to get HR to TELL your It dept to make the necessary changes, otherwise they are going down the road to losing a constructed dismissal case that you could bring about. See Marland versus P & O Ferries, it's a little more extreme granted, but the principles are the same.

In the meantime think of what the initials IT could stand for..........such as Insensitive Twa*s, Insubordinate Testosterone Department, I'm sure you could think of others, it might help you to stop crying and get more attitude and determination. Do you belong to a Union, it's just the sort of thing that they love to belt employers with. And of course involve your line management too, it seems to me that your manager is supportive of you from your recent postings.

I hope that this is resolved before Christmas, and you're not left with it fretting away inside your head, I had name change problems myself this time last year, but not with my work, so I know how distracting it is.

Hugs,

Eve

Liked your post out of solidarity. Went through my own name-change headaches. But when I finally got my ID book, I swear, it was one of the best days of my life. I know it's terrible, but hang in there.

Love
Charl

Thanks guys  I wasn't really thinking about crying yet. But I do want to punch a wall. They're just being lazy. They've done it before - I personally know two people who have already done this, albeit a few years ago, and no doubt there are other people I don't know in person who also work for the same company and who have done this before me. Basically, the IT guys are just doing the bare minimum that they think they can get away with but I won't let them get away with it. So they're annoyed with me.

I'm going to escalate the issue tomorrow. My manager is on holiday for Christmas so he can't help but his manager is still around, and so is his manager, so it will be fixed. I just hope it doesn't drag on all the way into January.

Good for you, Jay, stick up for yourself.  Their response and lack of support is so ridiculous.  Boy, do I HATE office politics and stuff like this. Don't they know that what goes around comes around?  Good luck getting it fixed, once and for all.  

I work in IT, they had zero issues changing my email address and kept the old email address redirected (at my request) to the new email address that does not show my former first name.

I think it's trivial for IT to accomplish this.  For whatever pigheaded reason(s) Jay's IT department members are simply being grossly uncooperative and possibly worse. Like passive aggressive people everywhere, they are trying to exercise their power over others and yet in the process demonstrate their childishness and selfishness. Jay is fighting the noble battle and will prevail, I'm confident of that, and he has my best wishes and prayers.

I'll take on board all your comments - thanks guys. It's just a little irritating because I work for the same IT department, but not for the end user service desk. I know what it all boils down to is that they do this so infrequently that they don't have a procedure to follow. I'm hoping to help put one in place for the future.

I suspect that employment law may well differ in various countries, but here in the UK employers have to make "reasonable adjustments" for staff who undergoe various changes in life, this includes transition amongst others, such as becoming disabled etc. It is entirely reasonable for Jay's employers to do as he has requested. Please google Marland v P&O ferries.

I think Veronica has an excellent point.  Perhaps the reasonable action is for Jay's employer to:

1. Create a new email address for Jay.  (Obviously)

2. Disable Jay's old email address; forward new email to that address to his new one.  (After all, some older email may yet have active threads.)

3. Add a mailbox to Jay's email application for the older address.  In Outlook, for example, I had this done for an ex-employee's email account after he left the company so I could access his old emails. (As Veronica said, the company does own those communications.)

Emma