Hey - Just reading back the replies. Sorry the link I shared is behind a paywall. I didn't realise as for some reason I can access it and I'm not a subscriber... Not sure why!
The link is to a piece written by Amia Srinivasan called "He, She, One, They, Ho, Hus, Hum, Ita".... In it there is a small anecdote about how they accidentally misgendered someone in their class, and were mortified they did this. I quote from their writing: "I now plan to start each term by asking my students to email me if they would like to tell me their preferred pronouns or share them with their fellow students. It isn’t a perfect policy, but I hope it will help me avoid further mistakes. "
Perhaps this is another / better solution employers could put into practice rather than email in signature option? That does mean employers have to be open and willing to have this conversation in the first place. I guess that a step is being taken by using this issue of "pronouns in an email signature" as a starting point? OK so maybe it's not the solution to tackling misgendering people at work, but it's a place to begin to conversation at work? I guess thats why we are all here now on this thread anyway ?
I read this this morning - a UNISON pdf (no paywall): www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2018/03/24861.pdf
It doesn't mention anything about putting pronouns in an email signature of course, but it feels related as it's about how to be better informed about equality for trans people.
Also, I would add to the bringing up of Feminism and Women's rights, absolutely, I see myself as a feminist and absolutely understand that often in a workplace there is huge unconscious bias towards women at work... But hiding or playing down my female identity from others at work won't stop them from being sexist. I recognise I am saying that from a privileged place - not everyone can openly claim their identity or just be themselves safely. So all I can do is use my own privilege to bring light to gender identity politics at work because I feel safe to do so. Putting pronouns in a signature might be a "trend" right now but the wider idea behind it - being able to make space to talk openly about identity and not misgendering people, will benefit us all. I wish we lived in a world that had equal pay, didn't have unconscious bias, and wasn't sexist, racist, discriminatory in any way. The only way I can see us reaching that goal is if we talk to each other about these issues. The email signature thing might a tiny, tiny thing - and perhaps not even appropriate in the future - but I'm glad it was a thing, because since googling it a few days ago and posting on this thread I have learnt SO much (and will continue to do so) about trans issues, gender issues.. work ethics.. and reading comments from different POVs is always enlightening. It's proof in my case that the email signature debate thing worked in getting me to go out and find more information!
Also sharing a link to this book - which Amia Srinivasan had mentioned in their article behind the paywall (weird that I could access it...) Think I'll give it a read. You can read some of it for free via amazon if intrigued: www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-Your-Pronoun-Beyond-She/dp/1631496042?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
...I'll try and find it from an indie bookseller to buy tho ;)