Declining to put my preferred pronouns in my email signature

I don’t need it. I don’t ‘identify’ in any case, I just am a woman.

No one has got it wrong.

Yes my name is unisex which means I'd put it in just to make it clearer although I wouldn't say I'm referred to as He a ton. But I also think it's a pretty easy thing to do that doesn't really cause a lot of problems?? I mean what issue is there really. Do correct me if I'm wrong though, I'm not going to pretend and say I know a lot about all of this.

But what people prefer is meaningless. You could say anything you like.

It means nothing. In reality you're either male or female.

Interestingly, the key D&I advocates on my team don't use them. And I've noticed a few others who did include them (one with an explanation about why people include them) have now removed them.

Because she objects to doing it.

Are you often referred to as a He? Is your name unisex?

Surely it's just stating how you'd like others to identify you as. Trying to be all clever and saying "oh just identify me by my name" is stupid because pronouns are obviously there to make English a little easier.

I caused a bit of upset when I was asked to do this, and decided I wanted to identify as a cable clip, so put my pronouns as clip/clipped - boss wasn't happy, but I put on a straight face and said "are you questioning my identity, are you discriminating against clips, what if i was a pipe clip, would you discriminate against that"
Eventually someone more senior told me to take it off and that was that - our caretaker still has "Dogs/Body" on his email signature, no one has noticed!

Hers as in "this bicycle is hers"? Doesn't count because the S is just the possessive S which, because English is a bit weird, is not separated from the pronoun with an apostrophe.

Try the following sentences:

This is his bicycle. It belongs to him.

This is her bicycle. It belongs to her.

I would personally just put She/Her and call it a day. I get people who say that it doesn't matter what pronouns are used, gender is a social construct all that but I don't want to be referred to as He when I'm obviously a woman. I don't personally see an issue but that is just me - someone said why do they ask that if they don't ask marital status, sexuality etc. I think it's because those won't have to be used in daily work life whereas pronouns are used every day. Everyone has pronouns so you may as well let them know what yours are.

Slight tangent but there’s a few older women at my work, close to retirement age, who’s email signatures contain whether they’re Mrs, Ms or Miss. No doubt as they view this as an important part of their identity and believe it’s worthy/useful to share with others

I do wonder if faux innocence and offering to do this as an alternative might work?! If they want to know how to address you adding Ms or whatever so they know you’re female would fully meet this goal.

But, of course, this is something that older women, rather than virtual signalling younger people do, so it likely wouldn’t be seen as an acceptable alternative.

I agree. I have also ignored memos asking us to put pronouns in email signatures.

I'm female but I have a unisex name more commonly used for men.

Makes no difference to anyone in my line of work what my sex is. And as pronouns refer to gender which means fuck all these days, I don't wish to put something in my signature that I actively think is bullshit. I often get emails to Mr <surname> and I don't particularly care.

It's quite nice when I meet a male colleague in a meeting and see the shock on their face that I'm a woman.

I have my name. That’s how I would prefer you address me. You/yours is also acceptable. If I’m not there, call me what you want, I won’t know to be upset.

There is plenty of evidence that using female names in CVs disadvantages women. Similar bias would apply for emails pronouns spelling out your female sex.

Interesting that, if you’re aware of sex-based bias within the workplace, @Girlboss1989 that you are willing for women that you manage (assuming that you’re a manager from your username) to be disadvantaged by signalling their sex. Likewise, happy for the men that you manage to be advantaged by signalling their sex. That doesn’t feel particularly equitable.

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/four-ways-your-name-can-affect-your-job-prospects/

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1211286

https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/63/5/318/229014?login=false

https://hbr.org/2020/03/research-to-reduce-gender-bias-anonymize-job-applications

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1018839203698

I think preferring not to say what you prefer is a bit petty, to be honest. It's only so that people get it right.

Refusing to mouth a religious mantra because I don't subscribe to that faith is 'petty'?

Has anyone said it's the worst part of their job? It's certainly not mine by a long way. I'm not doing it though.

Or, if pushed, my pronouns are fuck/off

Well if "being forced to use pronouns" was the worst thing about my job I'd consider myself very fortunate.

I won't be using pronouns, but I like this phrase:

Call me anything, but don't call me late for my tea.....

Don't be anxious just do a big eye roll and a massive sigh and say you are busy doing some ACTUAL WORK to answer

I think Merlin should “Be Kind” and “inclusive and welcoming” to middle aged women, who are uncomfortable with pronouns. How about it Merlin? Or is it hell fire for us?

Quite frankly I’m happy for people to hazard a guess that given my female name I’m a female. And if they think I’m a man that’s fine too. I actually couldn’t care enough

Or ethnicity. exactly.

Ooh, I like it.

This.