Employer Sends Emails In My Name Without Permission

[ungowa]

Hi,

Can my employer (Illinois) send automatic emails to their customers that appear to come from me, but aren't, without my permission? These emails are of a sales nature, as is my job. However, I don't approve of the timing or language used within them.

Thanks.

[525601minutes]

If your supervisor - back in the time before computers said to you - I want you to send out this sales letter worded exactly like this at exactly this time - and you refused, you can/would/should be fired for insubordination and refusal to do your job. So I'd say YES, they can send out JOB RELATED e-mails in your name.
(please note this is opinion only and not based on law)

[Betty3]

I agree with the previous responder based on your post & not knowing the problem with the timing & the language. I wouldn't think the employer would want e-mail going out to customers w/o taking the timing & language into consideration. What do you object to in regard to timing & language?

[BOR]

Hi,

Can my employer (Illinois) send automatic emails to their customers that appear to come from me, but aren't, without my permission? These emails are of a sales nature, as is my job. However, I don't approve of the timing or language used within them.

Thanks.

Legal or not, I personally find it a BAD business practice. Attributing authorship to you when in fact it is not, is quite suspicious.

I sort of equate it with signing someone elses name to a document due to "implied permission"??

I hate to say it, but your employer may have it in for you and could be setting you up as a fallguy.

Have you discussed this with your employer?? This is one great disadvantage of employment at will, even complaining about such uncomfortable situations can wind up in termination.

If possible keep a very detailed account of EVERY e-mail that is SENT.

If they will not stop the practice, if asked, here is what I would do.

On your personal and NOT work computer, send yourself an e-mail outlining your disatisfaction of what is happening and that you are NOT the AUTHOR of certain e-mails. You are basically covering yourself, while talking to yourself without anyone else hearing. It may cover you IF any illegal/tortious impropriety takes place. It is a form of "self service" in legal parlance. I have a "general" distrust of employers also. When someome has as much power over you as they do, I don't put anything past them anymore. Print it out and save it, or transfer it to a folder.


You can send yourself e-mails, in case you did not know. I have done it before testing when my computer was out then back on!!

[Betty3]

Is your employer sending e-mail out to customers with other employee's names also? I still would like to know what timing & language you object to.

[Betty3]

As an after thought & along the line of 525601minute's post, the co. I worked for, as do other companies, have employees send form letters out made up by "higher ups" where the employee has to send the letter over their name. I see no problem there unless there is something very objectionable with the language.

[BOR]

As an after thought & along the line of 525601minute's post, the co. I worked for, as do other companies, have employees send form letters out made up by "higher ups" where the employee has to send the letter over their name. I see no problem there unless there is something very objectionable with the language.

I was thinking the same thing Betty, but a "form" letter can be viewed by the subordinate for content, an e-mail sent out in her name by another can not! Usually in a form letter, there is 2 sets of initials, one as an author and one as a transcriptionist/typist.

As I do not know the content of such e-mails also, I will reserve final judgment, but I still would "watch my back"!!

[Betty3]

There's no telling what some employers might do but I would think if they want customers for their busi. they would certainly watch the language that goes out in e-mail they send out in their employees' names. We really don't know the content of this e-mail that went out. Even with the form letters, though the employee can view the content, I would think they might be disciplined for not sending them out. The ones where I worked most had only the employee's name signed -no other initials. All the form letters we used where I worked, I saw no problem with the language & don't think anyone would have been upset if sent out in an e-mail by employer. There were even letters that employees got to make up or adjust to some extent that they had to sign the director's name to that weren't reviewed by the director before they went out though employees did put their initials. I guess it depends on the company what procedure & language they use. I see no problem as long as the procedure & language are acceptable/reasonable- if it's not, then that is a different story.

[BOR]

Thanks for your imput Betty. I have never been in such a situation, so of course, I am cautionary about it, as to what to tell others that is, as I might find it suspicious on it's surface if it happened to me initially?

BOR

[Betty3]

I understand. It's really hard to give more than a general answer on this thread since we don't know the problem with the timing & language of the e-mail & if they are going out with other employees names also & whether they have a problem with this.

It certainly wouldn't have hurt for the employer to let the employees know of the e-mails before they were sent even if he didn't need to.