Woman with awkward initials goes viral after HR refuses to use her name in emails
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@thesam_show
A TikToker has opened up about always facing the same issue with work HR departments over their 'company email structure'.
We don't choose our own names at birth and sadly some of our parents either had shocking taste or didn't think far enough ahead into the future to predict how certain names - or initials - may come back and bite us in the a**e.
And, for one TikToker, the name has led her to have to experience many an awkward conversation with various HR departments whenever she's started a new job.
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TikToker Sam - who goes by @TheSamShow - took to her page last year to reveal she'd got a new job, however, mixed in with the general excitement and nerves there was a potential issue playing on her mind.
She explained: "Well y’all it’s official. I have a new job which means that I will be transitioning from my current position to a new one within the next two weeks.
"In amidst all of this excitement that I feel about this transition and this move and this opportunity I am filled with dread over one aspect of moving to a different job."
The user then revealed that she unfortunately ‘always’ faces the same ‘tough conversation’ upon joining a new company.
Sam said that these chats are regarding the fact that her name doesn’t always fit into the traditional ‘company email structure’.
“My name is Samantha Hart,” she explained. “Most companies use the email designation of first initial [followed by] last name.
“Meaning that my email would be ‘Shart’ and I’ve had two professional jobs so far and every single workplace this has been the email company structure.”
Just so we are all on the same page, to 'Shart' is to s**t and fart at the time.
You're welcome.
The creator then said that she’s received a couple of notices from Human Resources (HR) claiming that her full name doesn’t exactly fit into their email composition.
“I don’t want an email that says ‘Shart’,” she laughed. “Fix it, give me something else.
“So now, as I transition to this new role, I did investigate the email structure at this new company.”
Samantha revealed that her new workplace also uses the same email rule and said she wasn’t looking forward to ‘another uncomfortable conversation’.
She concluded the one-minute 38-second clip by asking her followers whether she should be the one to reach out to HR this time.
“Do I just reach out off the back and say look - you’re not gonna want my email to be this?
“Or should I let them come to me? Should I let them initiate the conversation?”
Following Samantha’s viral rant, TikTok users have come out in their droves to reveal they’ve faced a similar situation at work.
One commenter, whose screen name is Chris.Littmann, wrote: “Clittmann has entered the chat. Have been dealing with this since college.”
Another commented: “My name is Sue Hartlove so my work emails are always ‘shartlove’.”
“RKelley has entered the chat,” replied a third viewer.
A fourth, whose screen name is Samantha Wallo wrote: “As Swallo I feel your pain.”