What Should I Do If a Coworker Keeps Misgendering Me?

What do I do if a coworker keeps misgendering me.

If a coworker keeps misgendering you at work, here are practical steps to respond, protect your mental health, and understand your rights.

When a coworker keeps misgendering you at work or using the wrong pronouns, you have options. You can address it directly with that person, ask a trusted manager or HR contact to step in, or both. Dealing with misgendering in the office is exhausting, and it is not something you have to accept or manage alone. Most workplaces have policies that protect you, and there are clear steps you can take without putting all the weight on yourself.

What Is Misgendering, and Why Does It Matter at Work?

Misgendering happens when someone refers to a person using pronouns, a name, or gendered language that does not match their gender identity. For transgender and nonbinary people, wrong pronouns in the workplace can feel dismissive, exhausting, and harmful to their sense of safety and belonging.

Research on transgender workplace experiences consistently links repeated misgendering to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and job dissatisfaction. Studies on minority stress show that the cumulative weight of daily gender non-affirmation takes a measurable toll on mental health over time.

For a deeper look at what workplace psychological safety means for trans employees, this post covers it in full. And if you want to understand the broader mental health impact of gender non-affirmation, this piece on gender-affirming care and mental health is worth reading.

Is It Always Intentional When a Coworker Uses the Wrong Pronouns?

Not always. Some coworkers misgender out of habit, especially if they knew you before you came out or transitioned. Others may be unfamiliar with they/them pronouns at work and need time and practice.

That said, intent does not cancel impact. Whether the misgendering is accidental or deliberate, you deserve workplace pronoun respect. The distinction matters mostly in how you choose to respond, not whether you respond at all.

For a grounded primer on how to talk about gender identity respectfully, the post Gender 101: How to Talk About Identity Respectfully (Without Overthinking It) is a good starting point to share with colleagues who are still learning.

How to Correct Coworkers on Pronouns When It Happens Once

A single slip from a coworker often does not require a formal response. Many transgender and nonbinary people find that a calm, direct correction in the moment is enough.

Mental Health America offers practical language for exactly this situation. You might say something like:

• "Just a reminder, I use they/them pronouns."

• "My name is [name], not [previous name]."

• "I go by he/him, thanks."

You do not owe anyone an explanation. A brief, neutral correction is completely appropriate, and most coworkers will apologize and adjust. If they do not, that tells you something useful about what comes next.

How to Handle a Coworker Who Misgenders You Repeatedly

Repeated misgendering is a different situation. If a colleague keeps using the wrong pronouns after being corrected, a few options are available to you.

Talk to them directly, if you feel safe doing so. A private, one-on-one conversation can sometimes resolve what an in-the-moment correction did not. This guide from InHerSight on misgendering in the workplace includes specific language you can adapt for that conversation.

Ask a manager to address it. A supervisor speaking directly with the coworker removes the burden from you and signals that inclusive language and pronouns at work are a workplace standard, not a personal request. Research on trans workplace experiences consistently shows that manager intervention makes a measurable difference in psychological safety.

Contact HR. If the behavior continues or feels hostile, document it and report it in writing. HR policy on pronouns and misgendering varies by employer, but repeated, targeted misgendering can constitute workplace harassment depending on your company's policies and your state's laws.

Do I Have to Keep Correcting People Myself?

No. It is common for trans and nonbinary employees to feel pressure to constantly remind coworkers, redirect conversations, and manage how others respond to their identity. Setting limits around pronouns with coworkers should not be a full-time job on top of the work you were actually hired to do.

If misgendering is happening regularly, it is reasonable to ask your manager or HR to communicate your name and pronouns to the broader team. Some employers do this proactively as part of an inclusion policy.

For more on what transitioning at work can look like and what you can reasonably ask for, both this overview of transitioning in the workplace and this essential guide to supportive transitioning at work walk through it clearly.

What If a Coworker Is Deliberately Misgendering You at Work?

Some people experience a coworker who won't use their pronouns even after multiple corrections, or who uses their deadname in a way that feels clearly intentional.

Deliberate, repeated misgendering can create a hostile work environment. Many workplaces explicitly prohibit this behavior under their anti-harassment or non-discrimination policies.

If this is happening to you, you can:

• Document every incident with the date, what was said, and who was present.

• Report it to HR in writing so there is a record.

• Ask specifically what the process is for addressing harassment based on gender identity.

FOLX Health's guide to coping with misgendering includes self-advocacy strategies for situations where the workplace is not responding adequately. The Transgender Law Center's know your rights resource is a reliable starting point for understanding your legal options.

Is Misgendering at Work Harassment? What Are Your Legal Protections?

This is one of the most common questions trans employees ask, and the honest answer as of 2026 is: the federal landscape has shifted, but your rights have not disappeared.

Despite some recent attempts against it, it remains illegal under Title VII of federal law for an employer to fire or refuse to hire you because you are transgender.

Here is what did change: in January 2026, the EEOC rescinded its guidance that had specifically defined repeated, intentional misgendering as a potential form of unlawful workplace harassment under Title VII. That guidance is gone. 

What this means for you practically is that if you report misgendering to the EEOC, the agency is unlikely to pursue it as a harassment claim on your behalf under the current administration.

That does not mean you are without options. Courts remain free to interpret Title VII independently of the EEOC's current enforcement position, and many have. Your employer's own anti-harassment policies may also provide stronger protections than federal enforcement currently does.

And at the state level, protections are often more direct. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia explicitly prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity. The Movement Advancement Project's nondiscrimination map shows exactly what applies where you live.

For plain-language guidance on where the law stands today, this Trans Safety HR legal guide is a reliable starting point. For a broader look at your rights at work, this post covers what your employer can and cannot ask you.

What If Your Workplace Does Not Take This Seriously?

Some workplaces have inclusive policies on paper but do not enforce them in practice. If trans pronouns are not being respected at work and raising the issue has not led to change, that is important information about your environment.

Inclusive workplace training creates real, measurable shifts in culture when leadership commits to it. If your organization is not there yet, this post on inclusivity workshops is worth putting in front of the people making decisions.

For personal support, our Empowered Careers program offers resources and community for LGBTQIA+ people navigating these challenges. 

You deserve to work somewhere that takes your identity seriously. Not every environment is worth staying in, and recognizing that is not defeat.

How Managers Should Address Misgendering on Their Teams

If you are a manager or cisgender colleague reading this, allyship and pronouns in the workplace start with you. The most impactful thing you can do is correct misgendering when you hear it, without waiting for your employee to handle it themselves.

This University of Denver guide to gender-inclusive language in the office and this MGH resource on supporting nonbinary and trans colleagues (which includes an email template for when you misgender someone accidentally) are both worth bookmarking and sharing.

Nearly one in four trans employees report being misgendered or harassed at work, according to a 2025 analysis of workplace discrimination data. Managers who address this directly and consistently are a meaningful part of changing that number.

For a deeper look at what effective, inclusive leadership looks like in practice, this post on inclusive leadership training and this piece on the role of transgender advocacy in building inclusive workplaces are both worth reading.

Where Can You Find More Support?

If you are navigating misgendering or other challenges as a transgender or nonbinary employee, support is available. Be the Transformational Change offers resources, community, and programming built specifically for LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace.

Explore the 2026 Shine the Light Study for data on real LGBTQIA+ workplace experiences, browse community resources, or connect through programs designed for LGBTQIA+ career development.

Tags: Workplace, Legal Rights, Mental Health, Community Support, Identity, Trans