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It has come to my attention that my previous employer (that I left at the end of September) is still sending and receiving emails in my name. Because they have not deleted this account I still have access to it and can see what's going on.
I used to send out invoices, proposal information, and other such documents. They are still being sent from this email, but apparently they have not replaced me and the owner is doing this on his own. Needless to say, what is being sent out is usually incorrect or totally wrong. Clients are sending emails back stating "Dear Jane Doe (me), the information you submitted is incomplete, missing data, was not what we wanted, is totally wrong, etc."
Why is it being sent from my email? Why not his? I also have access to his emails and I saw one he sent that stated "when you send blah blah blah to Jane Doe, please cc me." He is practically saying I am there and send it to me. These clients are probably thinking I'm an incompetent idiot that can't do anything right.
I know what he is doing is not illegal because the company owns the email address but I believe it is ethically wrong. I am being made out to be an idiot. I am still in the same field as my last company and I may have to deal with some of these clients in the future.
Should I request him to stop using my name and close that email account? It is not used as a general mail box. No one knows that email address unless it is given out specifically. He is literally telling new clients to send all information to this email. (He apparently checks it daily or has someone else do it.) Why would he pretend to be me?
I don't know but as a former employee it is none of your business and you should not be checking the account. In fact it maybe illegal of you to do so. If it ever comes up with one of those clients you will have to explain the circumstances; that will make your former company/boss look like incompetents.
I don't know but as a former employee it is none of your business and you should not be checking the account. In fact it maybe illegal of you to do so. If it ever comes up with one of those clients you will have to explain the circumstances; that will make your former company/boss look like incompetents.
The only reason I ever thought to monitor this account was because our outside accountant who knew I was leaving the company contacted me via my personal email because I wouldn't directly answer her on the company email and asked if I changed my mind about leaving the company. She said she also called and was told I was "out." She was wondering why I didn't let her know I was still there since she was still receiving email from me.
How is it my fault if the company didn't do their due diligence and close my account? There was no company policy on employees that leave. Half the time, employees left and didn't even turn in their keys to the front door. At least I'm not coming in after hours and stealing computer equipment like what has happened in the past.
It has come to my attention that my previous employer (that I left at the end of September) is still sending and receiving emails in my name. Because they have not deleted this account I still have access to it and can see what's going on.
It's amazing that you still have access to the account!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjg1963
Clients are sending emails back stating "Dear Jane Doe (me), the information you submitted is incomplete, missing data, was not what we wanted, is totally wrong, etc."
I supppse that since you know the password, you can change it? It would be nicer to send an email to yourself at that email address, or, to the employer at his email, explaining the situation to the employer as you have here. But once you do that, you risk the employer changing the password first and then you will never have the opporunity to fix this yourself by changing the password, should you choose to go that route. You could always offer to send the 'change of email address' out yourself, once you have control of the email. That would be a nice gesture. I am unsure of the legal ramifications of doing so, however. Maybe, since you still have access, you may be able to change your email address slightly so that's it's not your name anymore. Nobody knows, everybody wins! People think it's a system glitch and you're off the hook!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjg1963
Why is it being sent from my email?
Probably because it's an email that everyone knows and the employer thinks changing it could mean a loss of revenue. Also, it's probably being justified as 'it's coming from your desk' i.e. the area that handled these matters, which isn't justification enough. Or the employer might not want to be forthcoming about the turnover rate or the loss of an employee because it may reflect badly on him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjg1963
I also have access to his emails
All this access that you still currently have tells me one thing - you are competent and trustworthy. If you weren't, you wouldn't still have access! Any other employer would have changed the password if they thought you would cause them damages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjg1963
These clients are probably thinking I'm an incompetent idiot that can't do anything right.
Maybe the clients can tell it's not you. What if they call you one day to ask about what you sent? I wonder if your voice mail is still accepting calls. You can only be 'out' or on 'vacation' for so long before people get wise! He will be found out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjg1963
It is not used as a general mail box.
This situation is a good argument for using a department email address instead of your own name. That probably wouldn't fly with most companies, though, who set up your email with your name. No harm in asking though.
Last edited by mash potato; 10-30-2011 at 07:12 PM..
As you stated it is not illegal for him to use your email, etc. But if he is impersonating you, that is indeed illegal.
This is where I'm in a quandry. If he is not saying "Dear so and so, here is the information you requested. If you have any questions, please contact me, Jane Doe, at xxxxx.com" is it illegal? The emails still have my signature and title block at the end. It may not be a big deal but it is really disconcerting to have people you have never dealt with before thinking you are an idiot. At least most of the clients I worked with over the years have realized I left.
Well, aren't you glad you left such a disfunctional company?!
In any case, I'd discuss this with an attorney, as it seems like it could be a case of fraud if they are still using your signature when you're no longer there.
I think the employer is the one in the dubious legal situation. Since the emails have your (electronic) signature, then he is, in effect, forging your signature. That is illegal regardless of who "owns" the email. He does not in any way own the right to use your name. If he wants to use the email address, then he must remove your name from the signature, at least. This could also be interpreted as an attempt to defame your professional character, although that's probably not what is happenning.
Mash Potato - I only have access to the email through an exchange server. It won't allow me to change the password. Everyone in the company has the same password anyway. If I wanted to, I could check everyone's email. Also my email address had nothing to do with clients and revenue or anything like that. I was usually cc'ed by the boss after the fact because he was point of first contact (very small company) and if someone was requesting information, I would send it out for him.
I thought about changing to "out of office" with a note saying I was no longer there but I noticed that the boss was forwarding email from his account to mine and then sending out a response. Very strange. Don't know what this is all about. But I didn't want him to see the out of office notice.
LexWest - So correct! Stuff like this is part of the reason I left. The partner that ran the company and made it the success it USED TO BE retired last year. The company went quickly downhill after that with the owner trying to run it and not knowing anything about his own company, how it worked, or even how to talk to people without sounding like a wino on the corner.
Mash Potato - I only have access to the email through an exchange server. It won't allow me to change the password. Everyone in the company has the same password anyway. If I wanted to, I could check everyone's email. Also my email address had nothing to do with clients and revenue or anything like that. I was usually cc'ed by the boss after the fact because he was point of first contact (very small company) and if someone was requesting information, I would send it out for him.
I thought about changing to "out of office" with a note saying I was no longer there but I noticed that the boss was forwarding email from his account to mine and then sending out a response. Very strange. Don't know what this is all about. But I didn't want him to see the out of office notice.
LexWest - So correct! Stuff like this is part of the reason I left. The partner that ran the company and made it the success it USED TO BE retired last year. The company went quickly downhill after that with the owner trying to run it and not knowing anything about his own company, how it worked, or even how to talk to people without sounding like a wino on the corner.
Walk away. You're digging yourself a ditch trying to get your boss.
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