Pronouns

[TheWayOfTheWorld]

So we recently had an email come round work "encouraging" people to add their pronouns to their email signatures.

Currently ignoring it - apparently it is voluntary (yes, voluntary like filling in our info re gender etc on the system is voluntary and we get regularly hounded to do that on a "voluntary" basis - also ignoring that) and don't intend to do so.

However, not updating ones email signature is more visible than not updating HR info and I need some facts in my armour.

I am sure that I read something that the whole pronoun thing is detrimental to women because (a) it reinforces unconscious bias against women and (b) it also has a negative effect on women as they are reminded they are women and down in the pecking order (don't think I have worded that quite correctly...)

Does anyone know what I am talking about?

@Chewbecca

I’ve had this at work in the past fortnight too!

I adopted the rest of the template but removed the section where you could optionally add you pronouns, diversity groups etc.

I have only seen one fully completed template so far, from a 20something. Made me wonder if I was just old and grumpy by not adopting it.

Not the same company as our HQ is not in the US so it seems to be a bit of a trend.

Yes I shall be interested to see who adopts it and whether it is just me being grumpy... I'm still laughing about the suggestion to change my name to same as the big boss

I’ve read the other thread linked to now too & the response that appeals to me the most is something like ‘yeah, I think I’ll switch to ‘him.his’ & that’ll mean I get a pay rise and bigger bonus too, right?’.

But this may be pushing it too far. As the most senior female in my team, people are already a little careful around me at times, thinking I can be ‘sensitive’ about stuff, such as objecting when people try to be ‘gentlemanly’ and say things like ‘apologies to the lady’ when someone swears, grrr.

I think I'd have to deal with "apologies to the lady" by turning off my "no expletives in this context" filter.

There are so many ways to acknowledge one's language is inappropriate for the social register without being sexist. I'll second the grrr!