Boss and coworkers keep calling employee by the wrong name despite efforts to correct them: 'Time to start butchering their names'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 23, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

Calling your employees by their preferred name seems like the bare minimum regarding proper workplace treatment. It doesn't really get more disrespectful than ignoring someone's constant corrections. 

This Redditor's name ends with an -a but is constantly referred to by a similar-sounding name that ends with an -e. If this were perhaps their first few weeks on the job, then the mistakes would be understandable. But there's really no excuse for the mixups at this point, especially when the Original Poster (OP) is constantly putting their correct name in writing for clarification. More importantly, it has been almost an entire year at this company and still, there has not been any improvement. Most recently, OP sent an email to their boss and to HR about a different matter, and while HR  used the correct spelling, OP's boss still misspelled their name on five occasions. It feels personal at this point, which is why several folks in the comments section suggested that it's time OP starts calling everyone else by the wrong name. See how it feels!

For more stories like this, take a look at this post about how an employee got back at a power-tripping Karen and took over her position.

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  • 01
    "All of my co-workers and bosses have been calling me by the wrong name for nearly a year"
    via Austin Distel
  • 02
    All of my co-workers and bosses have been calling me by the wrong name for nearly a year, despite me telling them I dont like them calling me that.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 03
    I have a name, and it ends with an a. They have been calling me a name that ends with an e. I've tried multiple times to get them to call me the right name, or a nickname, but they continuously call me by the wrong name... not just in real life, but over email too - where my name is clearly spelled with an a.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 04
    In fact, the only people who call me either by my right name, or a nickname, are people from the company that is partnered with mine.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 05
    My own co-workers call me the wrong name, and it just feels so weird. Especially when they're calling each other by nicknames, and then they call me by my full (wrong) name.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 06
    I emailed my boss an email, about something irrelevant to this, and copied HR in. HR wrote my name right, but my own boss referred to me five times in that email thread with e instead of a.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 07
    (I promise I'm not as pushy about my name here as I make it seem, but it gets to a point where I'm nearly a year in and it makes me sad that they refuse to call me by my right name or a nickname).
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 08
    svendro 7 hr. ago • Time to start butchering their names
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 09
    NikNakskes 7 hr. ago Plot twist: OP is the one butchering somebodys name and now all her direct colleagues are doing this on purpose to her.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 10
    ailweni 6 hr. ago The assistant manager at my apartment complex was always getting my name. wrong - even though my email signature, email address and outgoing name had the correct spelling. So I started responding with variations of her name - Ashleigh, Ashlyn, Ashlie, etc. (I've had a ton of issues with my apartment, so I've had to contact them a lot.)
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 11
    One day, she responds and says, "I'm unsure if you are unable to see my name is my signature, but it is spelled 'Ashley." I was like, "I know, and my name is X, not ☐ as listed in my outgoing name, email address, and signature."
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 12
    Since then, someone else from the complex has responded to my emails. I guess she refuses to deal with me now? Start butchering your coworkers' names and make them progressively worse.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 13
    Ger_redpanda · 9 hr. ago Find it remarkable that your boss types your name wrong with HR on copy. Reads almost on purpose or really oblivious.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 14
    When someone consistently gets my name wrong (and been told so) then I react in kind. Meaning that I will mistype or wrongly pronounce their name as well.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 15
    I do keep it light, so not (passive) aggressive but clear enough that something is off.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 16
    goldyblocks 6 hr. ago My name should be easy to remember. 3 letters. Example, say it was Pan. 9/10 call me Pane or Panet. I wear a name tag with it spelled correctly.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 17
    InsideOutD Rat. 5 hr. ago A coworker named "Jorge" kept getting upset that a specific manager always wrote "George" on his paperwork and emails.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 18
    Jorge spoke up and said that is bothers him. Seems like his name is being whitewashed. He had a father named Jorge and his son was named Jorge.
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 19
    A small investigation happened where HR asked random employees if they felt bullied or discriminated against. Nothing came of it, Jorge quit
    via u/cherryandfizz
  • 20
    _TiberiusPrime_ · 7 hr. ago. If they continue to use the wrong name, ignore them. Let them know that you know don't how they're talking to, because your name is and not a" e". In emails, always add a reminder of what your name is if the other name is used. ☐ make it part of your signature.
    via u/cherryandfizz

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers mildly infuriating Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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