Pronouns in my email signature

Ah the tartan paint and the long stand. 😄

Or put a plant in the staff room. Mental health isn’t as sexy as a yoof with glittery eyeshadow and a shimmery dress.

Well, it's the same as all the 'mental health awareness' stuff, isn't it?
Something most workplaces could have a real positive impact on. Flexible working opportunities, decent pay, fair HR, decent bullying policies.
Too much work though, so we'll encourage you to do yoga instead.

I worked in a place years ago that had links with an autism charity - so we would get people in for work experience and give them training, help them with interviews etc. It must have been a fair amount of work for HR to manage the charity and the staff members - to make sure they were comfortable and got some good experience for their CV.

But a lot of paint (any colour) and a banner on the website. £4.99 at B&Q?

It’s usually kept next to the spirit level bubbles and the long stands...

Where can I buy a pot of rainbow paint, by the way - is it on the shelf with the tartan?

Autism-friendly working practices
Desks and chairs that are adjustable enough for very short and very tall staff
On-site nurseries
Staff meetings that aren't at 5:30 as the nurseries close...

Yup that’s what I’ve been saying for a while now.

Review of building facilities and working practices
Installing Wheelchair ramps
Lowering switches and buttons
Shaped desk to accommodate wheelchair/ standing desks
Braille signage
Now sure what else - special lighting, software for blind and deaf, providing BSL translators...

Vs
Pot of rainbow paint and £500 ‘donation’ to stonewall...

Hmmmmm. Let me ask the accountant.

"Companies are saying, 'Okay, now we have an inclusive workplace, policies and practices. How do we really make that come to life within the walls of our business?' Putting pronouns in email signatures is one way."

Yes, because that does bugger-all to help people who need expensive actual adjustments to make work accessible; or rethinking sexist practices; or tackling racist problems in the workplace. It may actively disadvantage female people. But it makes the company look good for free.

“And a Ms F Paws from sector G told Janice to ‘shove her pronouns up her hole’.”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51331571

BBC's handy guide to why you should put pronouns on your e-mails

"When Janice O'Neill, the director of talent management at property firm Cushman & Wakefield, urged staff in 2018 to "add their pronouns" to their email signatures, the responses were mixed.
Some told her they felt for the first time like they belonged at the firm. Others had no idea what she was talking about."

I’m a feckin’ Pisces! Don’t mis-label me.

I’m tellin’ the polis on ya... (after a lie down in a darkened room with a glass of warm milk) 😭

I don't see this as a huge deal, as some posters are so keen to try to read into my comments, just as a way of avoiding social awkwardness – and, key point, as I've said already, an OPTION for people who would like to avoid this social awkwardness, not something I think needs to be in any way enforced.

Most of us don't feel this social awkwardness. Sometimes we don't know the sex of someone we're communicating with by email. Who cares?

Yours sincerely
Lord Paw
Likes: Pina colada and getting caught in the rain
Dislikes: Yoga and people with half a brain

Lordfrontpaw--if anyone disrespects your Gemini identity, they'll be hearing about it from HR, I'm sure. I'll be adding my Myer-Briggs.

Lordfrontpaw--if anyone disrespects your Gemini identity, they'll be hearing about it from HR, I'm sure. I'll be adding my Myer-Briggs.

That's shit to do BTW

That's right, Intermittant Perps. I got shif things to do. I don't spend my day huddling in a corner in a panic spiral worrying what exotic pronouns Kyle in Marketing wants to be called in they's absence. Maybe Kyle can save the pronoun nonsense for gatherings where careers aren't at stake and not force strangers to bow the knee to their cult.

Yeah Like
NoSc, ThoughEng (Hons)
Senior Executive, WokeAF Division
Pronouns: 🤯/🤮/💩
[email protected]
+0123456789

[Obligatory "inspiring"/cringeworthy Quote:] "Go ahead and lower your miserable diversity stats even further by firing a female senior exec. for failing to be sufficiently enthusiastic about your diversity propaganda, I dare you!" - Yeah Like, lone female senior executive in the entire division

...

key point, as I've said already, an OPTION for people

And what has been repeatedly mentioned is these "options" usually come with a clear "you're either with us or you're against us" subtext.

I can't make you call me anything. And no normal person would try and do so by using this tactic.

People don't respond well to implied threats and compulsions.

just as a way of avoiding social awkwardness

Unfortunately, all the research regarding unconscious bias and its impact on women's careers suggests "avoiding social awkwardness" in this way is likely to negatively impact women's career progression. I'm not willing to accept that. Women have fought long and hard to achieve some level of equality. Why would we throw that away?

Durgasarrow, I might nominate that post for Pseud's Corner.

My use of passive voice is 'interesting' and the sentence 'so manipulative'? . I'm making a 'presumption' about everyone? (I wasn't). 'It presumes that strangers are highly concerned about preferred pronouns and worry about them as a faux pas'. Well, some people do (I speak for myself; and I think it's fair enough to assume some other people – NOT everyone – feel like this too.)

The last part 'reflects an anxiety by the person being spoken about that may not be shared by the speaker.' But also it may.

I think I give up on this thread. I don't see this as a huge deal, as some posters are so keen to try to read into my comments, just as a way of avoiding social awkwardness – and, key point, as I've said already, an OPTION for people who would like to avoid this social awkwardness, not something I think needs to be in any way enforced.

It's going to end up like a tedious "list" from an inane tweenage diary aimed at self-absorbed girls.

Name: Spud
Pronoun: she
Fave George Ezra song: ...

By giving your pronouns, you are instructing others how to refer to you in the third person (ie when you’re not there) - many of us consider this to be compelled speech and object to the concept itself. I don’t believe it is my place to instruct you on what pronouns to use about me

Exactly this. Who am I to tell YOU how to refer to ME?

You can refer to me how the hell you like. That should be your prerogative. And it should be mine to like/dislike* your choice of descriptor.

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