Can a user stay logged out of Office 365?

June 16, 2019 6:53 AM

My partner just started a new job at Big Company that uses Office 365. If you're using 365, your name will show up on the top right hand side of every document. You can logout but the system will automatically log you back in if you open another file. Is it possible to stay logged out?

This is just about the name, no privacy concerns (the company owns all). My partner is in the process of changing their name but until required paperwork goes through, the company is using their official name and having it on every doc that is staring into their face is bringing up unhealthy feelings. (This is not about the initials/name info under the options menu. That can be user-modified. It is specifically about the name showing in the top right side of every MS document. )

posted by anonymous to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

In my experience at two organizations, you can't stay logged out if you're accessing a document unless invitation/security settings for that document explicitly allow it.

AFAIK, an administrator would need to change the name display.
posted by hijinx at 7:01 AM on June 16, 2019

Once you're logged in, you're logged until the session expires or you logout. And you need to be logged in to access any of the company's non-public files, otherwise how would they be able to protect their documents?

If it's just seeing their name that's triggering I'm sure someone could write a chrome extension that would hide that part of the page, but (a) someone needs to write it and (b) their org has to allow you to install extensions.
posted by cgg at 7:28 AM on June 16, 2019

I have Office 365 from school and I'm able to download/install Word/Excel/etc on my actual computer, and that doesn't show my name when I'm using it. Is that a workable solution here?
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:31 AM on June 16, 2019 [1 favorite]

If they can install it, the uBlock origin extension can selectively block elements from any page.
posted by Poldo at 7:36 AM on June 16, 2019

If your big company will only use legal names in software like O365, at best they're making a mistake. Legal name changes aren't possible in all circumstances, and when they are they can take months or years. For instance, my state's probate courts require residence and citizenship, which leaves immigrants SOL.

Organizations that are like this alienate everyone but cis men, who aren't expected to change their names during marriage or transition. If the company will update the surnames of marrying or divorcing women, but drags its feet on first name changes, I mean, that's not a problem for cis people...

I'd reach out to IT and/or whatever LGBT presence is at the company and ask about preferred, common, or display name changes. Office 365 display name updates are not usually technically hard - imo an organization that refuses to do them without "paperwork" has an extremely high probability of not wanting to employ trans people.
posted by bagel at 8:48 AM on June 16, 2019 [4 favorites]

Big company IT person who works in the Office 365 space. We source all of our data about people and specifically their "Display Name" from the Human Resources system of record. A change made there automatically flows to the Identity Management systems which in turn flow to Office 365.

I am sure there is some country by country complexity about what exactly gets put into those HR fields but at least from a North American perspective it is clear that we don't just use Legal Names. I second bagel's suggestion of engaging the LGBT advocacy group (and specifically if your company is big enough to have an IT LGBT advocacy group, go there). There is likely a process to get this changed (at least at my big company there is a process for everything).
posted by mmascolino at 12:12 PM on June 16, 2019 [2 favorites]

I don't think you can stay logged out and still view/edit documents that are stored in your company's OneDrive/SharePoint/Office365 whatever, unless they are shared with the public. The desktop apps can open those documents, though - you can search for them in the "Shared" or "Open" menu/tabs when you first open Word/Excel/PPT. The desktop apps don't show your name, and you can also change the name used to mark edits (if you are using Track Changes) in the Preferences. If your partner has the option, they can install the desktop versions from the Office365 account settings.
posted by bluefly at 4:32 PM on June 16, 2019