[ta82828]

Human languages don't work like programming languages, you can't always derive the meaning of a phrase from its parts. There are large groups of English speakers among whom, men and women alike, "you guys" is an idiom independent in meaning from the word "guy", and is used as a gender neutral plural second person pronoun. If one is in the company of such speakers there is nothing wrong with using it.

[erroneousfunk]

Sure, it might be well-accepted in some groups and in some contexts. But why would you use it in the workplace, when there is absolutely controversy around the phrase? https://www.google.com/webhp?q=is+%22you+guys%22+gender+neut... Why would you use it in an environment where women already feel oddly singled-out because they're in the extreme minority, and when there are plenty of other perfectly-acceptable phrases? It's definitely not as bad as a group I'm in being addressed as "gentlemen" (which has happened too many times to count), but it's still annoying, in a work context. I don't mind it when I'm with a group of friends, or there are roughly equal numbers of men and women.