I'm curious about the implications of allowing employees to change their display names in our HR system. Currently, our accounts are created using legal first and last names, which are also used in their email addresses. Often, employees request to change their email display to reflect their preferred name, like a middle name or a nickname (e.g., Chuck for Charles). While this seems harmless, I want to be cautious before implementing changes, especially since if we agree to a few requests, it could lead to a flood of similar demands. Are there potential issues or drawbacks to changing display names, and is this practice generally considered acceptable or risky?
5 Answers
From my experience, there aren't many technical reasons against this practice. I’ve assisted with name changes due to marriage or other reasons without a hitch. The main concern tends to be company policy, so make sure to check that first!
Allowing changes should be fine as long as there's a process. Just make sure previous emails remain as aliases so there’s no confusion. It’s good to accommodate requests unless they violate any corporate policies.
Display names should generally be flexible! As long as you're not changing the actual email addresses, it minimizes complications. If someone's name change is due to life changes like marriage or transitioning, it's typically a straightforward fix.
I’d recommend keeping it simple by letting employees decide on their preferred name at hire. For changes later, just make sure they go through HR so everything is documented.
We offer a preferred name option in our HR system, which can automatically update their display name. This approach avoids manual changes and keeps everything streamlined, especially with Active Directory.
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