Was I being ridiculous writing a complaint to Compare the Market?

[PollyPepper]

Or is this everyday sexism?

Essentially I was on there this morning to renew my car insurance. I'm a Transport Police Officer.

The only option available to me was 'Transport Policeman'. Which obviously is not me.

They've responded in rather a curt way saying that I can just write in the 'My job is not listed' section.

But my job IS listed! I'm just not a man!

I'm feeling very annoyed with it tbh. Not massive in the grand scheme of things but surely it's these small insidious things that means I constantly get called a Police man lady

Yeah that's dodgy.
Roles shouldn't be gender based.
Do they assume every nurse is female and every doctor is male too?
Or all bus drivers are men?

That's exactly what I said in my response! Do they use 'Doctorman/Doctorwoman'? 'Hairdresserman/Hairdresserwoman?'.

They've also said in their response:

If you complete the quote as accurately as possible you can then speak with your chosen provider directly prior to purchasing to see if this is something they can amend. When calling the provider, please be aware that providing or changing information over the phone can sometimes change the price

So my quote may go up if I was to ask the insurer to change it directly??

I'd complain about that.

You're right, they should have the neutral, accurate term. They should have said, sorry, we'll get that fixed when you brought this to their attention, rather than brushing you off.

That would have annoyed me too, both options should exist or a unisex word. I'm fed up with forms asking me my gender rather than sex, because I don't have a gender, but am female.

Inclusivity isn't working in so many ways, it always just favours men.

That site somehow changed my details so when my policy came they were wrong and it cost me an admin fee with insurer to put them right. (Plus the price went up). I know for a fact I put the right ones in as I did it again from scratch and exactly the same thing happened.

I’d play Hell with them on this. It’s all these tiny examples of casual, thoughtless sexism that go largely unnoticed that are really pervasive and harmful cumulatively.

They should have just said sorry we’ll change it to. “Transport Police”

Personally, I wouldn't, I would be find with being a policeman or fireman or whatever.

I guess my question would be, what do most women in that role prefer?

@SantaClawsServiette even if most female colleagues are fine with being called a man on a regular basis (they're not), but hypothetically even if most were, that still leaves many who aren't and I just don't think it's something we should accept as the way things are.

[quote PollyPepper]@SantaClawsServiette even if most female colleagues are fine with being called a man on a regular basis (they're not), but hypothetically even if most were, that still leaves many who aren't and I just don't think it's something we should accept as the way things are.[/quote]
I think that is kind of begging the question though - you are assuming using the term is inappropriate.

In my experience there are some jobs where the women, in general, are not only happy, but prefer to be referred to by older common use - there was a thread here a while ago about the term "mastic man" for example where this came up, it seems to be more common in trades, though when I was in the army I also found a lot of women members felt that way (though they had no say, since it's a top down organization.).

If most prefer that, why should the few that don't prefer it have their opinions count more? This is really something that's mainly a matter of preference in most settings.

So on a question like this I would tend to just go with whatever most prefer. If it's fairly evenly split I would still say, accept either usage. If there is a strong preference one way or another, ask for it to be changed.

@SantaClawsServiette

Personally, I wouldn't, I would be find with being a policeman or fireman or whatever.

I guess my question would be, what do most women in that role prefer?

But saying you are a policeman when you aren’t is inaccurate. As it’s for an insurance policy, I’d be concerned that if you try to make a claim they might not pay out.

@SantaClawsServiette the proper job title is (transport) police officer. Women in the police haven't been WPCs officially for decades now. The reply from the website should have been apologetic and should have given assurances that this anachronistic term would be updated.

Hello op

Yes shitty.

Have bit of knowledge might help explain if not excuse.

These lists tend to be generic. On CTM the list needs to be same as all insurers use. And insurers on lots panels. So essentially one list easiest.

Things can be added amended by insurers / aggregators need to map to existing group etc.

It's a gigantic PITA.

Which is not your problem obv. And yes it's shitty.

That's why not ok, done though.

Plus. These lists many not updated for years and years. Because thousands of jobs on them.

So that's why.

But yes it's shit.

Maybe that makes you feel a bit better about them being omg go away? As in. It's much more work than sounds. And really. Should do whole thing. Loads obvious jobs missing entirely etc.

There aren't usually loads of groups they map to.

Maybe more car ins than my area.

They'll be looking for jobs of type has lots of claims. Or loads of driving. Or v little driving.

Essentially I mean aside from thread.

Choosing something with right industry similar type amount and where driving motorway local etc. Same diff in calcs.

They are missing zillions of perfectly standard jobs as well.

You are not being ridiculous. 'Police officer' is plain and easy for them to use.
It's quite common to find sexism on comparison sites and in insurance companies. I've noticed it a lot in opinion surveys, even though the market research industry has a code of practice and all the rest of it and its services are used by banks and organisations such as the BBC. Everyday sexism, yes.

These lists tend to be generic. On CTM the list needs to be same as all insurers use. And insurers on lots panels. So essentially one list easiest.

surely it's an easy bit of code to search for "man"?

CTM probably use an industry standard list for occupations.

www.polaris.co.uk/products/standards/

[quote Marmight]CTM probably use an industry standard list for occupations.

www.polaris.co.uk/products/standards/[/quote]
Well, if that's where it came from and it has 'policeman' (but no policewoman) instead of 'police officer' then it's a sub-standard 'standard' that needs dragging into the 21st century.

When calling the provider, please be aware that providing or changing information over the phone can sometimes change the price

So my quote may go up if I was to ask the insurer to change it directly??

Only if it would have went up if you had changed it online. Talking to someone over the phone, in and of itself, doesn't affect insurance.

Of course you were right to complain. I'd be a little more forgiving if your occupation was one with no women previously, but there have been women police officers for over 100 years.

I can easily believe what Cheese says, having lived in two different properties, one which had been converted from industrial to residential and one that was infill (meaning the road had more than one house number 1 etc). It takes years to update these databases and in the meantime you're stuck with ridiculousness like "policemanwoman" or in my case, "yes it is residential, I live in it..."

You might have more success if you write to the consumer pages of the weekend papers - The Times has an investigative one in the Money section I think? It will draw attention to the problem and they may be able to tell you where you stand legally in the event of a claim.