Gender Pronouns in the Workplace: I See You

One of the most courageous stories in recent times is of the CEO of Swedish insurance company ICA Caroline Farberger, formerly known as Carl. After struggling for nearly five decades, Caroline publicly come out as transgender at 49. She admits that while it can be hard to find acceptance from others, by far the hardest part is accepting the truth to yourself.

Gender Inclusive Language

Deloitte’s inaugural LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work: A Global Outlook survey 2022 found that visible use of gender pronouns in the workplace made employees who identify as LGBTQ feel psychologically safe about being out at work.

Being misgendered or misnamed can give rise to suicidal feelings, as they feel unseen, invalidated, and disrespected. It often severely impacts a person’s mental health. Studies have also found that using the correct pronouns and names reduces the risks of depression and suicide. Millennials are more than twice as likely to identify as LGBTQ, at a rate of 20%, than previous generations. Also, 56% of Gen Z respondents mentioned that they know at least someone who uses general neutral pronouns.

Mary Emily O’Hara, a communications officer at GLAAD, says that the correct use of pronouns in the workplace must be encouraged as “pronouns are basically how we identify ourselves apart from our name. It’s how someone refers to you in conversation. And when you’re speaking to people, it’s a really simple way to affirm their identity.”

Using correct gender pronouns in the workplace fosters an inclusive environment and affirms a person’s gender identity.

Gender Pronouns in the Workplace

Before figuring out how to use gender pronouns, it is important to understand that sex and gender are two different terms, although they are often used interchangeably. Sex refers to a person’s biological status at birth and is usually assigned on the basis of eternal anatomy. Gender is a broader term that is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

How to use gender pronouns is often a tricky affair, but easy enough if you just keep a simple list of dos and don’ts in mind. Here are some easy-to-follow steps to use the correct gender pronouns.

1.  Do not assume a person’s gender or gender pronoun. It is disrespectful to hazard a guess and force it on them. We must not make any assumptions based on how they look, dress, or behave. Instead, introduce yourself and ask them for their name and pronoun. This will help them feel validated and respected.

2.  In official correspondence and public addresses, avoid using terms like “ladies and gentleman” or “boys and girls” and address groups of people as “Dear all”, “everyone”, “colleagues”, or “friends”. Apologize in case you accidentally misgender someone and take steps to correct it. Also, help to spread the word, in case you hear someone using the wrong pronouns. You could just say something like, “Hey, you know what, their pronouns are they/them. Just FYI, for future reference.”

3.  In case you have not used gender-neutral pronouns like “they’” or “ze” before, be patient with yourself and practice diligently. Using the correct pronouns is the best way to affirm someone’s gender identity.

Gender-inclusive language paves the way for a healthy work culture where everyone feels accepted and safe. To promote the correct usage of gender pronouns in the workplace, organizations can encourage employees, regardless of gender identity, to put their correct pronouns in their email signature, name tags, and other communication materials. Such practices will make a workplace seem safe and empower transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender non-binary people to present their true selves at work without fear. It also encourages diversity and inclusion-related practices.

A brilliant businesswoman and transgender activist, Martine Rothblatt, once the highest-paid female CEO in America, was born male. These days, Martine has a set of pronouns and prefixes all her own. She likes “Pn.” for “person” rather than the traditional “Mr. or “Ms.” and uses “spice” to mean spouse. She likes the “trans,” but Martine is “trans” many things. She believes that it is important to transcend barriers to identity to truly connect with people.

O’Hara puts it best as she says, “It’s really just about letting someone know that you accept their identity. And it’s as simple as that.”

The post Gender Pronouns in the Workplace: I See You appeared first on The HR Digest.

Source: New feed