Discussing gender issues in the office ‘unwise’, says judge

81 replies

Igneococcus · 19/09/2025 06:29

"It can be considered “injudicious” to express opinions about gender identity issues in casual office chats, employment judge Lesley Murphy said, adding that it was ill-advised because of how those views may be perceived by others."
But if it's "unwise" to talk about gender at work (and it might well be) doesn't that include claiming to be non-binary?

https://www.thetimes.com/article/0ad11f88-681b-4d3f-b612-c2620373f18d?shareToken=02e52f48d5b414b8e5514f1eedcf740b

Workers warned against chatting about gender identity as tribunal ruled against non-binary worker in harassment case against charity boss

https://www.thetimes.com/article/0ad11f88-681b-4d3f-b612-c2620373f18d?shareToken=02e52f48d5b414b8e5514f1eedcf740b

OP posts:

Screamingabdabz · 19/09/2025 07:05

“It is one thing to allege someone espoused a view that there are just two genders (as injudicious as the expression of views on such matters might be considered by some in a casual workplace exchange).“

Wow! So…don’t, what ever you do, go around talking facts. Or stating factual things. Especially ‘casually’. Casually talking facts… that’s sooo dangerous in a workplace. Or ‘espousing’ anything of reality. Goodness! Take a breath before you do that.

Glad someone warned us.

MaudlinGazebo · 19/09/2025 06:48

I think it’s the distinction between saying “I’m a Christian/jew/buddhist” etc in the office and having light discussion related to that vs debating the meaning and existence and validity of religion at work. If someone wants to be NB at work fine, I do think it would be unwise to take them to task over it as a general principle. Obviously if they start proselytising and trying to change the work environment for everyone then that’s when it becomes a problem, just as if a Jewish colleague was trying to make the kitchen kosher and asking people not to bring in pork for lunch.

HaveYouActuallyDoneAnyWashingThisWeekMum · 19/09/2025 06:47

I think it’s best to steer clear of politics, religion and sex as an employee in any workspace.

Equally I think workspaces should not align themselves with a political or ideological issue - so no rainbows in the NHS, no healthcare literature on maternity care or gynaecological cancers that use phrases such as pregnant people or people with cervixes, and no pronouns in email signatures, for example.

borntobequiet · 19/09/2025 06:42

Refreshing.

Imagine trying to provide a service to help those in need and being taken to an employment tribunal by a vexatious, attention seeking, delusional individual such as this.

Original poster

Igneococcus · 19/09/2025 06:40

No, I agree, I don't think it should be unwise to talk about your life to colleagues and I'm lucky that I can talk really quite freely with most of mine, but it seems we're at a stage where it can backfire, though it seems the judge thinks these claims were made up. It be better the judge would have dismissed this because people are allowed to hold these views and express them.
Incidentally, I also had a colleague whose sperm count and sperm motility I knew more about than I really needed to.

OP posts:

PermanentTemporary · 19/09/2025 06:33

I don’t think chatting about your own life should ever be unwise, no, provided some basic rules of decency are observed (I had a co worker once who gave a blow by blow account of her fertility treatment that definitely was unwise).

Completely different to say ‘I was on a demo on Saturday, traffic was mad for hours’ compared to ‘can I bend your ear about Reform/Action Palestine?’ One is just chat, the other is proselytising.

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