Ask HN: My Bio on Ex-Employer's Website

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=848655

by powdercake • 17 years ago

2 6 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I resigned from my job a few weeks ago but my employer has kept my name and profile on their website. They have also kept my name set up on their voice prompt system. Based on my experiences at the company when other employees had left, I assume that they have kept these two indicators of my presence in place so that incoming requests for myself can be "funneled" to the right person to alert them of my departure and make sure their requests are taken care of.

On one hand, I can understand why they would want to do that. On the other, I don't feel like they should still be "pretending" that I work there and using my name and associated reputation for their own benefit.

What is the "grace period" for this sort of thing, before I request that they do something about it?

run4yourlives2• 17 years ago

The bridges you will burn by broaching this concern are far more than any good feeling you will gain in yourself. Therefore, keep silent.

The bio will probably be down within a few months, but your name on the directory might stay unless your replacement is very active with your clients. They're servicing the clients that you no longer are the best way they can. Let them.

powdercake2• 17 years ago

Your answer seems extremely biased.

So from your perspective, an employer should be able to use and/or profit off of it's former employee's identity and reputation indefinitely after that employee leaves?

andhapp• 17 years ago

Yeah, but I am just assuming that after a transition period they would stop using your name. But you should never burn your bridges...so be patient and if they do not do anything about it then politely approach them. I would say a month is enough...but then did you not have a handover period that should have taken care of this issue.

run4yourlives2• 17 years ago

That's not what I said at all.

I said that this can do more harm than good to the asker requests this while the company is still actively trying to redirect client requests.

If you can leave it long enough that you can approach them and they say "Oh, silly us, you're right! You left a while ago!" they will be much more receptive.

Like many things in business, this isn't about moral high-ground, it's about seeking the best outcome for yourself while offending as few people as possible.

javery• 17 years ago

I would at least give them a couple months, it takes most companies that long (or longer) to update their site. I don't think it would be burning bridges if you email them in a couple months if it's still up. You could always say someone contacted you requesting help since the information was still up, that the last thing they want is their customers coming to you.

powdercake2• 17 years ago

I guess one issue here is that I don't see how removing my name from their website prevents them from continuing to service their clients or direct their queries to the correct person.

Ask HN: My Bio on Ex-Employer's Website

Related Stories