Pronouns at work

Really foolish of them. The use of pronouns in email signatures should always be optional...

Surely if you say that you have not decided yet what pronouns you wish to use and do not wish to 'out' yourself to colleagues then there is nothing they could do...

Frankly HR should know better as they could be facing a claim for discrimination from you, as there is precedent and laws to back people up in this type of circumstances.

My employer is signed up to all this and a colleague did say he'd noticed I hadn't put my pronouns on. I just said I had a very female name, but as he had a name which could be either/or (eg like Alex or Sam) he might want to do it and he agreed that was a good point and that was the end of the discussion.

There's no pressure on us to do it though.

I'd tell work that it's nobody's business what your gender is (or what you perceive it to be) and you shouldn't be forced to tell everyone as it's personal to you.

Considering that you never have to use them to refer to yourself, is there anything actually stopping you from stating that your pronouns are 'dfsqkehsjudliulcxdsgfjncknxhgdebns/eydppdjsmucithywbsjhdhfkrilopoashbxnjhs' ?

Or, to avoid any issues if they ask you to educate them as to pronunciation, go with something easily pronounced and remembered but deliberately long and unwieldy, to make the point, such as 'shallicomparetheetoasummersdaythouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate/tankflybosswalkjamnittygrittyyourelisteningtotheboyfromthebigbadcitythisisjamhotthisisjamhot' ?!

See it’s when you think what would happen if people were forced to put all that?

she/her, mixed race British, possibly pregnant (TTC), Muslim, 40 years old, closet bi-sexual, ASD, marriage dodgy as an old rope bridge.

there would rightly be outrage.

This is correct

Good luck op I hope you can stand firm

I witnessed a situation like that, when it was done either as a joke, or out of sheer annoyance following constant reminders about putting pronouns. The colleague was totally gender conforming to their biological gender to the best of everyone's knowledge. They got a few stern talks from HR as it was considered to be offensive to non-gender-conforming / non-binary / trans colleagues. So, they eventually removed the "wrong" pronouns from the signature, but the hounding also stopped. Which I found a bit bizarre, because if the person decided they want to be known as he/she/they/thou/zir etc, why is it suddenly HR deciding based on superficial presentation who does it as a joke, and who is serious?

Hi OP there is guidance here which specifically addressesthe pronouns issue - I'd suggest you send it to HR: https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/news/cipd-new-guide-transgender-non-binary-inclusion/

I don’t assume that, but do think, ‘come on Susan, Brenda, Louise, whatever your name is, I’ve managed to work you’re female for the last 10 years so don’t need to be told to refer to you as she!’

I think if I was forced to put my pronouns in my bio I would write Brainworm /Brainworm, in line with my name.

This approach means people should just refer to you using your name and no pronouns.

Presumably they aren't giving you a predetermined list of pronouns to choose from? In which case, go wild with some made up neo pronouns eg ling/lang, gee/ gaw. What are they going to do about it, deny your reality? Play them at their own game.

This. They can't make you.

Our IT team writes "the user" or uses first name on tickets.

So "Vito's laptop won't turn on and emits a high-pitched whine. Vito has tried replacing the power cord, no change." No pronouns needed.

The Yogyakarta principles have no status in English law and we really don't want to invoke them, even when doing so supports us, because they need to stay having no status in English law.

Human Rights Act Articles 9 and 10, plus Forstater v CGD would be most useful here.

Ask them to put their warnings of disciplinary action in writing to you so you “have evidence for the solicitor if the time comes to go for unfair dismissal”

"threatened with formal action."

What exactly have HR said, to date?

In a job where I often don't know from someone's name if they are male or female, pronouns are really useful for me. How ever, I put pronouns on my email as it just feels like a bandwagon that actually makes little difference to those who are trans or non binary.

I would.

You can stick your fucking pronouns up your arse. Sideways!

the concept of gender identity is regressive in terms of gender non conformity

@Brainworm well said

@Lavender14 good post

My Indian colleague told me in an email that I looked like an Indian actress.. I have a picture on my outlook avatar and they didn't. I would take this different depending on whether they were a woman or a man..

No one signs Mrs.. Italians do add Dr or Dr-a to their signatures..
So when I received an email from Ashley and then talking about him and copied him in saying things like "Ashley needs support with it can you email him directly" CC him in and then when he was retiring I found out it was a woman I was embarrased!

Anyway my point being that although this started off a a trend for supporting trans/non binary people it actually helps me a lot with work when dealing with people all over the world.

Because when multiple people are CCd I mispronounce their pronounce so say "he has a complaint" etc when I'm talking to a woman and it's not great for relationship building which is part of my job..

theres already been a court case they cant make you do anything tell them tostuff it