Anyone on here work for BT ? (new email signature includes pronouns)

[TempNameChangexx]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone here also works for BT
We've had an email today about a new email signature and mentions including our pronouns.
If you've had the email, do you think it's saying that it's compulsory?
I really don't want to feel forced to say what I identify as (born a woman, still a woman)

For pretty much anything else, I'd email HR to ask for clarification but don't feel comfortable sticking my head above the parapet to ask this particular question as I will be seen to be "not an ally" when actually I just think that everyone has a right to privacy.

Thanks

I think it's ok to ask for clarification whether it's compulsory, that isn't saying I won't, just 'is it optional?'

It cannot be compulsory. The Yogyakarta Principles say no one should be forced to declare their trans status. Just ignore it. I would if asked say I don’t feel comfortable declaring my pronouns.

Where I work has rolled out a pointless CBT on pronouns and its says its voluntary to put them in our email signatures

Obviously I'm not going to do it but its done me a favour in letting me know which of my colleagues & other staff are to be avoided or pitied

If all else fails tell them you do not want your ‘gender identity’ - whatever the fuck that is - to be outed as you are still coming to terms with it.

I'd just ignore it. So far, HR seem quite reasabout this sort of thing with us, but if they try and force it, I will be pointing them at the Yogyakarta principles, and also saying that as the only woman in my department, it's probably going to work in my favour if anyone does misgender me. It's certainly better for me to know who the people making sexist assumptions are, when they mail "Dear gentlemen" or something.

Also, a lot of my colleagues don't speak English as their first language. I have seen some signatures from the US with "she/hers/ella" - it tempted me to add my pronouns in a massive long string with a huge range of different languages. But I decided not to stir things up. Yet.

I have been misgendered a few times in the workplace, and the sky has not fallen in. Sometimes it's been followed by an embarrassed apology. Sometimes I have pointed out we're not all gentlemen, mostly because it's important for them to remember that women can do this job, too. But I don't really care about it for myself. Better to be referred to as "he" than "that useless bitch in the Unix team" or something (I am not aware of that ever having happened, I should note.)

reasabout = reasonable about

My workplace put this out as ‘best policy’. I just ignored it and seemingly so did 99% of others. There have also been numerous training/awareness days. I presume they are some box ticking exercise for employers applying for industry awards or something.

(nc) I currently work at BT and haven't had the email.

But like others, I'd ignore it if I did receive it.

Is this the same BT which has a particularly poor ratio of female engineers (maybe employees in general)? Who a few years ago was trying hard to recruit more, and wondering about why their retention levels were poor?

If they're wanting to work on 'diversity and inclusion' then maybe they should prioritise their big problem rather than pissing around with 'pronouns' - which as everyone knows (or should know) tend not to be helpful to women.

To be fair, I don't think BT is alone there, compared with other telecoms companies.

Think I saw a couple of BT engineers speak at women in tech events. If I could just remember what...

I’d ignore. I expect most will.

I work for BT, haven’t had the email...but there was a diversity and inclusion call recently where we were told it was the ‘party line’ now to include it, as it’s in the brand guidelines. I ignored, as did most others as haven’t seen anyone with pronouns on their signature

Perhaps you could ask for a list of acceptable pronouns?

Thanks everyone
It might just be the particular area that I'm in that has gone down this route for now.....
I think I'm going to quietly ignore for now until it gets mentioned.

I've got a name that I'm pretty sure would never be thought of as a man's name, although on one call recently someone (from Europe) did think I was a man - I did have a sore throat that day and I didn't have my webcam on !