AITA for refusing to log in under someone else’s name at work, because mine is hard to remember?

In a bustling clinic where voices echo and pagers buzz, a young interpreter named Adriana found herself fighting for something simple: her name. Tucked in an open office, she’s a visible lifeline for patients, yet after two years, coworkers still fumble her name, favoring her colleague April’s instead. When her manager demanded she log in as April on the pager to “avoid confusion,” Adriana’s heart sank—her identity felt like collateral damage in a lazy shortcut.

The order wasn’t just about a name; it risked her credit, her job, and her dignity. Her refusal, born of principle and a pounding pulse, set off a showdown with management. This Reddit tale dives into a workplace tangle of respect, fairness, and standing tall against erasure. Is holding firm to her name a bold stand, or a fuss over nothing?

‘AITA for refusing to log in under someone else’s name at work, because mine is hard to remember?’

I work as an interpreter at a clinic. This clinic used to have 2 interpreters at a time. Since covid came around, one of them retired, leaving an open position for me. We couldn't have 2 at the same time anymore because it's a small office and we would have to sit directly next to each other,

so I agreed to work in person once a week and work from home the rest of the week. It has been this way for nearly two years. My name (let's say it's Luna) is barely uncommon, but they have much more unique and rare names around here, and people remember those names.

My coworker (let's call her April) has been here for years and I get that, but basically people don't call for me on our pager because they refuse to learn how to pronounce my name. This is a problem because I end up sitting here doing nothing, while a contractor (more expensive per hour) does my job.

I sit in the middle of the clinic in a big open area, visible from every side. Manager sends me a message yesterday and says 'to prevent confusion, you're going to log in as April on the pager from now on. April is getting a lot of missed calls on the days you're here, so the best thing for everyone is for you to just use April's name because everyone remembers it.'

I told her I won't do that, because it's unfair and degrading and could even be a liability. She said I needed to take that up with upper management and wouldn't even listen to me about the better solution: to have April forward her pager to my name on the day she's not here, that way people can call her and the pager will inform them that the call is being forwarded to 'Luna'.

She said 'I don't know about all that, you're to log in as her and respond to her calls.' I stood firm (social anxiety through the roof at this point) and told her I will not log in as someone else. I'll log in as myself and take April's forwarded calls. She said she'll get upper management involved. Am I the a**hole for not logging in as April, making it easier for everyone to just have to remember one name?

EDIT: My name is Adriana, shortened to Adri (Audrey) for their convenience, which still isn't enough apparently. Also thank you everyone, you're making it much easier for me to stand my ground despite the anxiety ❤ I really appreciate it.

A name is more than a word—it’s identity, and Adriana’s fight to keep hers shines a light on workplace respect. Her manager’s push to log in as April dismisses her contributions, risking misattribution and liability while ignoring her practical fix: call forwarding. The staff’s refusal to learn “Adri” after two years smacks of negligence, leaving her sidelined as contractors take her work. It’s a power play dressed as convenience.

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Workplace inclusion matters. A 2023 SHRM study found 76% of employees feel undervalued when their identity is overlooked, harming morale. Dr. Derald Wing Sue, a diversity expert, says, “Mispronouncing or ignoring names signals disrespect, eroding trust”. Adriana’s stance is justified; her name deserves recognition.

She should escalate to upper management, citing liability and fairness, and propose a neutral pager label like “Interpreter.” Training staff on her name could prevent repeats.

These are the responses from Reddit users:

Reddit’s squad rolled in like a hype team, cheering Adriana’s grit and tossing shade at her manager’s audacity. From IT pros warning of data fraud to coworkers smelling a setup, the comments are a fiery rally. Grab a front-row seat for their bold takes:

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Conscious_Ad7105 - NTA. As a 30-year IT guy, logging in under someone else's name and password is bad news. Don't do it. You're exactly right about liability. If you're in the EU or access data of an EU citizen, that could even be a bigger red flag given GDPR regulations, which don't fool around.... Would like to hear the take on this from the EU IT community...

czechtheboxes - Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's like your manager is setting you up to do April's work for her. It will register as her doing more work, any good reviews would have her name on them, and she will get the credit for your work. Don't do this. NTA

Jazzlike_Humor3340 - NTA. If you do this, it will show her doing the work, not you. So who will get credit when time comes around for work reviews? She'll look like she's doing all the work, you'll look like you are doing none. And you'll have no way to prove your work done.. This is a bad, bad idea.

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DemeaRising - NTA, and I bet you'll get a pay raise at another clinic.

usernamesarestewpid - NTA. Rather than pushing “April’s” work onto you, the company should not be forgiving April so much. Is there any reason that they’re being so liable with her? Any kinds of favoritism or nepotism? If so, do some R & R. No, not rest and relaxation. I mean record it and report it.

Beckster501 - NTA You should not be logged in under someone else’s name at work for the simple fact that you need to get credit for your work and not have the risk of confusion over who actually performed the translation.

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It’s not unreasonable to expect people to learn your name at your job after two years. Upper management should be focused on making sure the other employees know who to contact. You’ve given a reasonable alternative in asking that April’s calls be forwarded to you.

Kryptillith - NTA. It's a trap 100%. Let them get upper management involved, and stand firm to them also. This is gross negligence and irresponsibility on their part. Literally if someone refused to learn my name after 2 years, I would literally wear a shirt or a giant poster on my desk with my name. Eff that, proud of you for standing your ground through your social anxiety!!

[Reddit User] - NTA don’t do this, talk to upper management seriously. If you follow along with it then April will have a shining performance review and they’ll just remember her name more.

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PommeDeSang - NTA and yes run it up to upper management. Here's what happens if you do that. The system says 'April' did X work while not on duty. Your records however indicate that you are on the clock but not working DESPITE the massive amounts of work being done by the contractor.

Someone sooner or later is gonna come to your manager about this and she'll either take the blame(HA) or throw you under the bus. So yeah she said run it up the chain, so you do just that. And make sure you let them know your manager wanted you to commit data fraud because she was unwilling to do her job.

Available-Love7940 - NTA. If they're concerned with missed calls, then perhaps the page should be to 'interpreter' rather than a name. Logging in as someone else can lead to liability issues -and- April would get even more credit and you even less.

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These Reddit roars pack a punch, but do they miss the manager’s intent? Or is Adriana’s stand the ultimate mic drop?

This clinic clash shows how a name can spark a battle for respect. Adriana’s refusal to log in as someone else isn’t just about pride—it’s about claiming her place in a workplace that’s tried to erase her. Her manager’s shortcut risks more than confusion; it undermines fairness. Was she wrong to dig in, or is her name worth the fight? Share your thoughts—have you ever had to defend your identity at work? How would you rewrite this workplace script?

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