Reply to: Email Signatures

[Contreras]

Sounds like good advice. I have been sending business emails under my Hotmail address. It is sucky but I have had that same email address for about 17 years and read it regularly. Must get a proper business email organised tho.

Yes it is sucky. I know some people operate like this, but then you ask for presentation advice re. ClientCo email ?

Get yourco.co.uk. Redirect it to a free webmail service if you must, and redirect the www to linkedin. It's not difficult.

[FatLazyContractor]

I just use:

Regards,
FatLazyContractor,
<Role at Client place>,
<Mobile number>.

[FatLazyContractor]

I try to do the same. Had client mobiles forced on me on two occasions which I immediately locked away after receiving and handed them back in the unopened boxes when the contract was finished.

In the client's view, you are still using a company mobile. They'd never assume that you would lock it away, would they?

[Safe Collections]

Sounds like good advice. I have been sending business emails under my Hotmail address. It is sucky but I have had that same email address for about 17 years and read it regularly. Must get a proper business email organised tho.

You can use a hotmail email without issue, provided it includes the information required by law.

If it doesn't include the information it is possible to argue any agreement entered in to by email was agreed by you personally, as opposed to being agreed by you as a director of YourCo Ltd.

[Eirikur]

I put myco business mobile in my sig as I never accept a client mobile.

I try to do the same. Had client mobiles forced on me on two occasions which I immediately locked away after receiving and handed them back in the unopened boxes when the contract was finished.

[unixman]

We would recommend a similar system, always conduct business related emails (contract discussions, extensions and the like) through your company emails.

Not only does this ensure you remain on the right side of provision 6 of "The Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008" but it also means that if you do get in to a dispute, you will have ready access to any contracts or agreements.

Sounds like good advice. I have been sending business emails under my Hotmail address. It is sucky but I have had that same email address for about 17 years and read it regularly. Must get a proper business email organised tho.

[Safe Collections]

<snip>... use their email system. It helps their paper trail of what's been discussed with their client if there is disagreement later. For the same reason, any B2B stuff goes through MY company email, so I can keep record in the future.

We would recommend a similar system, always conduct business related emails (contract discussions, extensions and the like) through your company emails.

Not only does this ensure you remain on the right side of provision 6 of "The Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008" but it also means that if you do get in to a dispute, you will have ready access to any contracts or agreements.

[SueEllen]

Anyone who uses their own business email for client co business should be aware that depending on the client, especially those in the public sector, you may be giving them the right to search through that email inbox.

Some ministers and their special advisors have been caught out by FOI requests, which means their personal and company inboxes are allowed to be searched for data.

However if your company's policy (which you should have documented and recorded somewhere) is to delete such messages when they are no longer relevant e.g. x months after the contract end then it will help mitigate this.

[unixman]

It's a bit of a non-issue IMO. Playing at being a business rather than getting on with something useful.

Indeed. I've never been subject to IR35 investigation, but I have been through a redundancy/employment tribunal situation as a permie. The other side tried to advance certain arguments about my role, using just these sort of minute observations as "evidence". You would be astonished the tiny (and downright silly IMO) details they tried to blow up into an argument. Eventually the case was settled on terms favourable to me, without progressing to a tribunal. I imagine IR35 cases could be similarly argued. The law here (IR35) turns on a grey area, and is a bit silly. Why give the opposition any evidence, however tiny?

Anyway thanks all for the cool advice about signatures.

[d000hg]

My client's (foreign) client is a big old mess of different companies and contractors working through their own companies, but I take the view I am doing work on behalf of my client and use their email system. It helps their paper trail of what's been discussed with their client if there is disagreement later. For the same reason, any B2B stuff goes through MY company email, so I can keep record in the future.

It's a bit of a non-issue IMO. Playing at being a business rather than getting on with something useful.

[jamesbrown]

That really depends on your client platform. Many are going the cloud route for office apps including Outlook. Easy to access anywhere in the world from any authenticated device.

I always use as default MyName, ProjectName, MyNumber.

I also never accept a client mobile handset unless there is a specific reason e.g. handheld apps for monitoring and testing, particularly for mobile engineers and the like. In which case it is only ever used for the stated purpose, never calls.

If a client has a particular template for email sigs then I don't see it as an issue to comply. I am quite confident that no one was ever or will be found inside IR35 because of it. It would be interesting to know what HMRC policy is for their own contractors/consultants in this regard

Agreed, in terms of IR35 it's basically a non-issue, along with anything else that is indiscriminate (i.e. protocols introduced for reasons that are unrelated to employment status). As I see it, the main advantage in using your own systems is simplicity, especially when dealing with multiple clients and when work persists across clients (i.e. developing techniques and tools that will be used to service multiple clients). For me, it would be an absolute PITA to rely on client systems, but I'd also do what was necessary. Interestingly enough, some of my clients won't touch the cloud because they're worried about security (I have no basis to judge that sentiment, as I'm not an IT tech).

[tractor]

....

It's hard to avoid sending stuff to an external address if you work offsite. That said, the only times I've dealt with really sensitive info. (which isn't often) have been through a secure file exchange, rather than e-mail.

That really depends on your client platform. Many are going the cloud route for office apps including Outlook. Easy to access anywhere in the world from any authenticated device.

I always use as default MyName, ProjectName, MyNumber.

I also never accept a client mobile handset unless there is a specific reason e.g. handheld apps for monitoring and testing, particularly for mobile engineers and the like. In which case it is only ever used for the stated purpose, never calls.

If a client has a particular template for email sigs then I don't see it as an issue to comply. I am quite confident that no one was ever or will be found inside IR35 because of it. It would be interesting to know what HMRC policy is for their own contractors/consultants in this regard

[unixman]

Never had a problem with the following and it sets just the right distance without rubbing peoples noses in it. LinkedIn, www linky, free advertising? Yeah right like a lead balloon.

--
<fullname>, Contractor.
Tel: <my mobile>

Yes after thinking about it I will probably go with something neutral. There is an intermediate consultancy who I might mention too, eg

Unixman - mobilenum - contractor, Myco Ltd / Consultancy Ltd.

I exchange emails with the client's vendors too, and as somebody said, Clientco might not like attention being drawn to my status with every email. But in that case they should employ a permie. Something like the above lets people who and what you are without "rubbing their noses in it" indeed. It might also remind me that I am representing Consultency Ltd and Myco, and to behave accordingly.

Background - I've been with client 2 years and lately, bit by bit, they are starting to treat me like a member of staff. An old problem CUKers will be familiar with. This signature request is part of that, but might also provide an opportunity to send out a useful reminder.

[jamesbrown]

Gotcha - makes sense if everything is controlled. I use my own kit and proprietary tools, and rarely login to client systems. I work on civil engineering projects which, once happening, aren't overly sensitive (or where the sensitive parts would be impossible to leverage out of context). I guess it's a different world if you're working directly on client systems, or with personally identifiable info. like bank or HR records etc.

[DaveB]

Yep, but at least they've dispensed with the key ring toggle. I got a text message with my codes on it last time (received on myco phone ).

Still got one of those at current client.

Permies with client co. phones get to use an app on the phone instead.