<p>Interpersonal forgiveness is essential for workers’ socialization, relationship building, and the reinforcement of organizational values. Nevertheless, what factors hinder employees’ willingness to forgive? Forgiveness is a multilevel phenomenon that does not occur in a social or cultural vacuum. We hypothesized that objectification, denying others humanity and viewing them as tools, inhibits forgiveness by decreasing empathy. To examine this, we carried out a cross-sectional survey (Study 1) followed by an experimental manipulation (Study 2) in China. Study 1 (<i>N</i> = 160, 105 females) demonstrated a negative association between workplace objectification and trait forgiveness, with empathy (i.e., perspective taking and empathetic concern) mediating this relationship. In Study 2 (<i>N</i> = 255, 173 females), workplace objectification further impaired state forgiveness; however, interventions aimed at restoring the diminished empathy of objectifier significantly attenuated the negative impact of objectification on forgiveness. These findings enhance our understanding of human behavior and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that hinder forgiveness and the pathways through which it can be facilitated.</p>