Employee Fuming After Boss Chooses Baby Name She Wanted

What should a boss do when their employee is disgruntled about the baby name they chose?

A male manager submitted his situation to Ask A Manager and questioned what to do in his unique situation. He revealed that his wife is 12 weeks pregnant with their first child and recently announced her pregnancy. When an employee of his asked if they had chosen a name, he revealed the name to them.

"We have chosen a name which can be given to either a boy or a girl and has significance to both our families," he explained.

The staffer was upset at his answer because that is the name that she wanted for her future child.

He noted, "She is not currently pregnant and said herself there are no immediate plans for kids in her future. Even if she was pregnant, I don’t see why us using the name means she can’t."

The manager shared that his employee has been "cold and huffy" towards him and won't talk to him unless she absolutely has to.

"Some of my other staff came to me because she is telling everyone who works here what a bad boss I am," he added. "However, she continues to complete all her work properly, be professional and warm to clients, arrive[s] on time, etc. I don’t know if I can or should do anything because her work is up to par."

The Ask A Manager founder, Alison Green, suggested that he wait it out for a few weeks and if things don't change, call out the behavior in a professional manner. What would you do in this situation?