Isn’t that what this thread is about?
Somebody in Admin feels they make us look more friendly and approachable. I feel it deprofessionalizes a professional job and devalues our advanced degrees and our specialized knowledge. I’m allowed to have that opinion.
(I mean, I’m obviously living with it. But what, I can’t complain about it without getting a “like it or lump it”?)
I suspect this may be an issue that’s different for women.
This attitude is baffling to me. I consider it a politeness to use employee names to personalize my interaction with them. If they have to wear them the least I can do is go along with it. To a checker who has been helpful or pleasant: “thank you, Debbie, have a great day”. But then I’m always looking for the positive in life.
I I knew how, I’d start a poll. Interesting topic.
I understand that there are quite a few people who disagree with me, being that there are quite a few people in the world, with various cultural and social backgrounds that influence their ideas of polite behavior and acceptable social contracts. I don’t presume to know the percentages of people holding different opinions without having a study done.
I would however wager that more people have problems with customers using their nametags to make their interactions more “personal” than you imagine to be so.
(I don’t WANT my professional interactions with most of my patrons to be “personal.” I want them to be PROFESSIONAL. My name is personal, and isn’t meant to be invoked at random to create some sort of artificial chumminess or “we’re all in this together” atmosphere.
If I want to be your friend, I’ll find a way to meet you away from work and become friends with you. Even if you ARE my friend away from work, I’m going to be reserved and polite and call you by your last name when you are at my workplace. It’s just how I am.)
ALSO, what the crap difference does it make? Even if I were the only one on earth who felt that way, what on earth is saying so supposed to accomplish?
“Oh, I’m sorry, emotions. I know that this was the way you were established by my parents and my community when I was young, but you’re a statistical anomaly, and so I need you to delete yourself to stop screwing up the numbers. Go on - shove off now.” :dubious:
I’m sure you’re much more logical and in-control of yourself than I am, but my emotional state doesn’t work that way.
: raises hand :
I neither like nametags nor like being referred to by my FIRST name just because it’s on my nametag. It’s not like I get wound around the bend for it, but I do like to lose my nametag a lot.
I actually have a problem with the first name thing a lot. My nephew and niece call me by my first name. I’ve been looking forward all my life to be called “Auntie”, but if I say anything, it makes me look petty. My doctor calls me by my first name but I call him Doctor X. My professors sign their e-mails “Dr X” or “Prof X” but feel free to call my by my first name.
But I am obviously the odd one and must accomodate. So be it.
Poll created in separate thread.
You’re allowed to have any opinion you wish.
But not all opinions are equal; not all opinions are worthy of the same respect. Your opinion in this matter is not widely held. Of course, an opinion that runs counter to the majority may still be superior to the majority if it rests on facts that the majority misunderstands, as an example … but here, it’s a purely subjective opinion.
You may indeed have advanced degrees, but advanced degrees are not a requirement for the position you occupy. You are, in effect, demanding that you be recognized for something that has little to do with your job.
In fact, it’s MY opinion that this distaste for the nametag rests on precisely those grounds: you have advanced degrees and specialized knowledge, and are stuck doing a job that doesn’t require them. You want to stand out from your co-workers, and have the public with whom you interact recogize, at least implicitly, your worth as a recipient of advanced academic training, and not just an ER intake drone.
That’s just my opinion. I’m allowed to have it.
Zsofia is a librarian; her degree is required for her job. You seem to have mistaken her for the OP, who is the one working in the hospital.
Also, pretty much all my female coworkers also hate the name tag/false intimacy thing as well. I’m not an outlier.
I’m not so pissed off now that I realize Bricker had me confused with the OP. I’m talking about an environment where we’re all specialists with advanced degrees and we don’t like it when the gross people who already hit on us all the time now know our names.
The ironic thing is that jobs that require advanced degrees/specialized knowledge, etc. are more likely to require wearing some kind of visible ID. Think doctors, military officers, people who work in secure buildings. There’s a good chance that a guy who makes a tenth of your salary can physically bar you from the building if you’re not wearing your photo ID in plain sight.
This thread is fooked.
Oops.
Well, that goes to show what MY opinion is worth. 
Yes, my mistake. I apologize.
I don’t have a nametag, per se, for my job, but I do have an ID/security badge that must be visible on our person at all times. The ID has my name and picture. It can be worn around the neck on a lanyard or on a belt clip. If one forgets their ID, security prints a temporary, adhesive photo ID that must be worn like a name tag.
Is that better, worse or the same?
Do you work daily with fungible members of the general public in a low-status service position? Because that tends to make everything a lot worse.
Yeah, but everybody already know how much your opinion was worth. 
And, for the record, when I had to wear a nametag I HATED it. As other people have said, I don’t want my interactions at work to feel personal. You (the general client you) are not my friend. I am not your friend. We are not friends. Even if I did want it to feel personal, the fact that I either don’t know your first name or am discouraged from using it doesn’t exactly create a friendly atmosphere. So if you want to make this interaction feel all personal and shit, you can pay attention when I introduce myself at the beginning of the visit.
I’ll go back to the original problem.
newcrasher, I would go ahead and let my boss know that you think the new uniforms are poorly made and will be difficult to keep looking sharp. You could also explain that you think people can get you mixed up with others because people in vastly different roles wear the same uniform but can’t possibly answer most of the same questions from a patient or a patient’s relative. Or perhaps there is a “suggestion box” email address for HR you can send the comments to. Once done though, it’s probably best to leave well enough alone.
The last job I had with an issued uniform, things did not turn out well for us when the women kept complaining about how cold the skirts were in winter. Everyone was issued cheap brown polyester outfits that didn’t keep you warm in winter but also caused you to be roasting hot in summer.
I’ve worked as a retail drone, I’m a woman, and I didn’t mind.
Not that many people called me by my name. About half of them that used a name used the wrong one (“Thanks Sharon”–it’s not Sharon).
The only bad thing about it was that every once in awhile someone would come in and use my name and it was somebody I knew and should have recognized, only I didn’t–and they were not wearing a name tag. (You know that thing where you have a hard time recognizing faces? I think I have that. Not an advanced case. I can recognize my children, good friends, and even coworkers after the first week on the job. But when people are out of context, it’s harder.)