Got a job; but I'm using a pseudo-name

[cyrilcabo]

[DELETED due to Privacy Concerns]

[dannyjamesfletcher]

What!?

I’ve never heard of this. Where are you in the world? Is this normal?

I wish I had advice but I don’t. This sounds messed up and I’m sorry this is happening to you

[jwilkins.oboe]

Hi @cyrilcabo !

@cyrilcabo

However, I just feel sad that I was told by my employer to use a pseudo-name.

You should feel sad and probably confused and angry.
I have never heard of an employer in any industry doing this.
I have heard of employees trying to use a fake name but never the reverse situation.

@cyrilcabo

I didn’t actually mind at first, because I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal.

I would have been confused as to what is happening.
And I would have asked the biggest question of all

Why do I have to change my name?

This all seems super shady.

Your boss didn’t give you a reason why you had to change your name?
Did you ask?

All of this is very confusing to me.

@cyrilcabo

I mean I’d be good as not working at the previous company since I wasn’t using my real name.

So, if you decide to work at this place for a year or more and then try for another job you wouldn’t be able to list work experience.
I would imagine that would be tough to compete again for junior jobs without work experience.

@cyrilcabo

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

If this were me, I would be looking for a new job.
The fact that they didn’t tell you why this is happening is really shady to me.
Maybe this has happened to someone else and I would love to hear that story.
But for me, I don’t trust it and I wouldn’t feel comfortable working there.

[dannyjamesfletcher]

I share all of these feelings.

I do want to make sure you understand that you can and absolutely should list this company as work experience though.

There’s no disputing the fact that you worked there. All you’d have to do is show a paystub if anyone was weird enough to question it.

But yeah, get the heck out as soon as you can! And maybe talk to a lawyer.

[kevinSmith]

However, I just feel sad that I was told by my employer to use a pseudo-name.

Wait, what? I’m confused here.

1. Are you saying that they have you use a pseudo-name when dealing with clients?
2. Are you saying that you were hired under a different name and that is what you use internally and your contracts are under a different name?

If it is the first, that can be a business practice to keep employees from being stalked - I’ve never heard of that in a developer context.

It it’s the second then I’m not sure that’s even legal - all the contracts you signed were fraud.

Why did they want you to do this? I think we need more clarification.

[ArielLeslie]

I’m guessing that you work as an international contractor, and your company wanted you to use a “western” style name when interacting with clients?

If it’s something like that - where you’ve been asked to refer to yourself incorrectly, but your actual employer has your real name etc - then I can totally understand being uncomfortable with it but I wouldn’t worry at all about it from a legal perspective. Regardless, if I were in your position I would still list that job as past employment on a resume.

Have you talked to any of your coworkers about your concerns?