Sacked at 63 yo for saying ‘he’—is this what work’s come to?
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A 63-year-old Aussie thought he was doing the right thing when he corrected himself and apologised.
But that wasn’t the end of it—his refusal to put it in writing sparked a formal investigation.
Now, he’s out of a job and his case has ignited fresh debate over pronouns, rights, and respect in the workplace.
The Perth-based man, who was employed in a high-paying role, was sacked after calling his non-binary colleague ‘he’ during a leadership training session in February.
He had been asked to introduce the colleague—who identified as neither male nor female and used ‘they’ pronouns—at the event.
Before the session began, the younger employee reportedly informed the man that their preferred pronouns would appear on their name badge.
But when the 63-year-old referred to the individual as ‘he’, another colleague quickly corrected him.
He responded with an apology and the two remained cordial throughout the day, according to reports.
However, things escalated when the older employee was later informed that a formal complaint had been lodged.
His manager requested a written apology—an order the man refused.
He allegedly said no one should be forced to refer to a colleague as ‘they’, despite the earlier verbal apology.
The situation escalated further as younger employees sided with their non-binary coworker, leading to backlash against the 63-year-old.
By March, the company had launched an internal investigation.
Following the inquiry, the man’s contract was terminated.
He later argued that his dismissal was unlawful and claimed he was being punished for not subscribing to a particular belief system.
‘If one person had the right to use a particular pronoun, then another person had the right not to,’ he told a Fair Work Commission hearing.
The man intended to take the matter to the Federal Court and sought legal advice.
But he was warned by the commission that pursuing the case publicly might expose him to social backlash.
He and the company ultimately reached a confidential settlement.
The names of the individuals involved and the employer have not been disclosed, but details of the case were leaked during legal discussions.
Legal experts noted that there is no overarching right in Australian law to be referred to by specific pronouns at work.
They said the decision was ultimately up to individual companies and whether they had set policies around pronoun use.
The company in question reportedly had no such policy in place.
Unlike similar cases, this one did not involve religious objections—rather, the man’s stance was based on his personal beliefs about gender politics.
Navigating today’s workplaces isn’t just about keeping up with technology—it’s also about adapting to new social expectations and rules.
For those finding themselves at a crossroads after decades of experience, this next story highlights a different kind of pivot.
It’s a look at how others have responded to workplace change by taking matters into their own hands.
Read more: Retired But Not Tired: Aussie Seniors Turn to Side Hustles to Boost Pensions
Is it fair to lose your job over a pronoun mistake—even if you said sorry?
But that wasn’t the end of it—his refusal to put it in writing sparked a formal investigation.
Now, he’s out of a job and his case has ignited fresh debate over pronouns, rights, and respect in the workplace.
The Perth-based man, who was employed in a high-paying role, was sacked after calling his non-binary colleague ‘he’ during a leadership training session in February.
He had been asked to introduce the colleague—who identified as neither male nor female and used ‘they’ pronouns—at the event.
Before the session began, the younger employee reportedly informed the man that their preferred pronouns would appear on their name badge.
Pronoun slip at training session sparks sacking. Image source: Pexels/RDNE Stock project
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
But when the 63-year-old referred to the individual as ‘he’, another colleague quickly corrected him.
He responded with an apology and the two remained cordial throughout the day, according to reports.
However, things escalated when the older employee was later informed that a formal complaint had been lodged.
His manager requested a written apology—an order the man refused.
He allegedly said no one should be forced to refer to a colleague as ‘they’, despite the earlier verbal apology.
The situation escalated further as younger employees sided with their non-binary coworker, leading to backlash against the 63-year-old.
By March, the company had launched an internal investigation.
Following the inquiry, the man’s contract was terminated.
He later argued that his dismissal was unlawful and claimed he was being punished for not subscribing to a particular belief system.
‘If one person had the right to use a particular pronoun, then another person had the right not to,’ he told a Fair Work Commission hearing.
The man intended to take the matter to the Federal Court and sought legal advice.
But he was warned by the commission that pursuing the case publicly might expose him to social backlash.
He and the company ultimately reached a confidential settlement.
The names of the individuals involved and the employer have not been disclosed, but details of the case were leaked during legal discussions.
Legal experts noted that there is no overarching right in Australian law to be referred to by specific pronouns at work.
They said the decision was ultimately up to individual companies and whether they had set policies around pronoun use.
The company in question reportedly had no such policy in place.
Unlike similar cases, this one did not involve religious objections—rather, the man’s stance was based on his personal beliefs about gender politics.
Navigating today’s workplaces isn’t just about keeping up with technology—it’s also about adapting to new social expectations and rules.
For those finding themselves at a crossroads after decades of experience, this next story highlights a different kind of pivot.
It’s a look at how others have responded to workplace change by taking matters into their own hands.
Read more: Retired But Not Tired: Aussie Seniors Turn to Side Hustles to Boost Pensions
Is it fair to lose your job over a pronoun mistake—even if you said sorry?
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