'Stop calling me that': Entitled coworker refuses to call employee by her real name, employee reports her to HR, causing work feud

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Feb 21, 2025 4:00 PM EST

Throwing one's professionalism out the window for the sake of a lame joke is a one-way ticket to getting fired. This coworker seems to come from a backwards universe where it's perfectly ok to disrespect an employee's name and where humor at a fellow coworker's expense is justified if it's funny. Of course, the joke wasn't worth it professionally, and it wasn't even funny. 

At the end of the day, people with a sense of humor that is founded on name-calling should, frankly, lose the privilege to make jokes. Keep scrolling below to see how this new hire got HR involved in her workplace feud!

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  • 01
    "I want to report my coworker to HR for renaming me"
    via Unsplash+ (M. Cooper)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Here, we have an incredibly unnecessary coworker who decided it was well within her right to deem the new hire's name to be far too complicated for her to remember. So what did she do next? She proceeded to spend the next three weeks calling her by the name “Emily” instead of taking the time to learn how to properly pronounce “Emese” (spoiler alert: it's not that difficult).

  • 02
    I was assigned to a new project with 2 people from different departments. One of them is a native English speaker woman, Judy, who insists on calling me with an English name.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 03
    For context my name is Emese. It's pronounced as: IPA: εmεfε all the "E' is like the "e" in bet. and the "S' is "sh" like in shoe. [eh-mesh-eh]
    via ProseFox1123
  • 04
    So my name is just 3 sounds and completely pronounceable for an English speaker and I assume for basically the entire world. Everyone in my job calls me that regardless of their nationality.
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  • 05
    Judy told me right after introducing myself to her that my name was weird and she'd call me Emily. I told her no, that's not my name, she giggled so I thought she was just trying to joke.
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  • 06
    Well it's been 3 weeks and she wasn't joking. She's been calling me Emily ever since. Every single time I tell her that's not my name and stop calling me that.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10470529024
    via Unsplash+ (M. Cooper)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Not only is this middle school behavior, but one also has to acknowledge the fact that these two employees were collaborating closely together on a project. In other words, the slightly senior coworker was creating bad beef with someone who was going to be working with her intimately for, at the very least, the imminent future. Of course, her professional behavior was uncalled for, but on top of that, it was simply not smart. Why would anyone want to make enemies with a close collaborator? You're just asking for trouble, lady!

  • 08
    I asked her in a normal tone several times, but she just rolles her eyes every time. by last week I was fuming inside, and today i
    via ProseFox1123
  • 09
    lost all my patience and I told her I am not gonna be anglicized or turned into anything else. Renaming people and taking away their names is humiliating.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 10
    She became very arrogant and she started telling me I have no sense of humor and I am playing victim to make her look like a bad person, and it's not that deep and
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  • 11
    I create a toxic environment. And finished her rage by calling me Emily in a bratty tone and sent me an email with calling Emily again after work.
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  • 12
    I am planning on reporting her to the HR tomorrow morning. The other co-worker got mad at me and expects me to not report her since we worked on this project
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  • 13
    for 3 weeks already and HR might replace her and I am causing difficulties with the report. The project is gonna end in 3 months so I don't think this 3 weeks is crucial at all.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 14
    But this has been going on for 3 freaking weeks, she never once called me by my real name and I will not let anyone just disrespect me and my identity for weeks for absolutely no reason.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 15
    Is this really something minor? Should I really not report her? I think she really crossed the line AIO?
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  • 16
    EDIT: i didn't expect this to blow up, I appreciate all of you who gave me advice and expressed empathy. i talked to HR. I am gonna write an update in a few days. thank you
    via ProseFox1123
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    Cheezburger Image 10470529536
    via Unsplash+ (M. Cooper)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 18
    Alltheteabutmine • 19h ago Not minor at all, you should 100 report her!
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  • 19
    she has acted in an unprofessional way with another co-worker and, if someone doesn't intercede, it will NOT be the last. Does your job want that liability for Judy's behavior? You
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  • 20
    should not have to work with someone who makes you uncomfortable in any fashion and this is pretty egregious. Good luck to you. Standing up for yourself is hard but worth it.
    via ProseFox1123
  • 21
    Ok-Bug-960 • 19h ago If it's such a "minor" thing, she should be able to say your name properly
    via ProseFox1123

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers human resources company toxic-work-environment
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