A social media user has shared what unfolded after she suggested that a new Generation Z employee replace her company email avatar with something more professional.
The Threads user @channelonenostalgia posted the anecdote, where it drew almost 500,000 views and a lively debate.
“New employee—24ish. Noticed her company email avatar pic is her at a music festival. Emailed her and said ‘hey, that’s a really great picture, but probably not what we should put on client-facing email. We have free professional headshots monthly if you want one.’ She not only wouldn’t do it, she forwarded it to MY boss. My boss is flabbergasted as am I. This is a VERY formal company. WTF [what the f***]?!?” the poster wrote.
According to the poster, her boss phoned her immediately, questioning whether the situation was even real; after the two shared a laugh, the boss emailed the employee—copying the poster—to explain that the request had been phrased gently to spare embarrassment, but the photo change was in fact a requirement. The employee was instructed to reply‑all confirming that she had updated the avatar to something aligned with company standards.
View on Threads
What Counts as an Appropriate Company Photo?
Corporate image guidelines typically call for professional headshots, which are polished, well‑lit head‑and‑shoulders photos with a clean background and a natural, confident expression. These images are intentionally composed to convey competence and approachability and are widely used on email signatures, company websites, internal directories and client‑facing materials. Festival or party photos generally fall outside professional norms.
Why Generational Norms May Be Colliding
Workplace research from Society for Human Resource Management shows that older generations tend to value more formal communication and traditional professional norms, while Gen Z—raised in a digital‑first environment—often gravitates toward casual, fast, visually‑driven expression. These differing expectations can create friction in environments with strong formality standards, especially around perceptions of professionalism.
Social Media Users Weigh In
The anecdote prompted strong reactions: “I appreciate Gen Z dismantling some of the unreasonable aspects of work culture but this is crazy. Should I have to be in a full suit to sit at a desk? No! Should I have a professional photo for client facing profiles? Duh,” said Taylor Gallagher.
“Your boss needs to double down. “I’m not sure why I was looped in to this very reasonable request from OP. If you do not remove the picture we will have IT do it. Here is the most updated version of the company handbook. Please see section xx.yy on professionalism/client interaction. If you need help scheduling that headshot, we’re happy to assist” because ain’t NO WAY,” said Kate Patton.
“Profile pic (avatars on email) are internal to the company you work for, right? I mean, no one outside my company sees my avatar when I email them. So Im confused about how clients see the internal facing avatar…” posted Shequita Washington.
“Y’all defending her are INSANE sorry not sorry but professionalism is still a thing is certain corporations. If they don’t allow purple hair they don’t allow it. They offer FREE headshots they obviously do not want a party look,” added Gayle.
“I talked to my 23ish yo coworker nicely about how she had done something wrong and she should correct it before anyone notices so she wouldn’t get in trouble. She rolled her eyes at me so I walked away in shock. She went to our bosses sobbing that I was mean to her and I was reprimanded for the first time in my professional career. I only thought of this because one day she took an hour to choose her email photo and then chose something unprofessional as well and I just [lips zipped emoji],” commented Jenny.
“Unless you are her line manager it’s not your place to correct. Instead you report it to her line manager or HR,” posted Atelier Moonage.
“If your company’s preference is that avatars should be professional headshots only, then make that your policy,” said another user.
Newsweek reached out to @channelonenostalgia for comment via Instagram. We could not verify the details of the case.