Please update your email signature to include your pronouns

[Rosecottage888]

The email states (at the bottom) that this is optional.

I knew it was coming, saw other threads from people who's organisations asked the same. I won't do it, just wanted a moan here.

I think it would be a really interesting legal case if someone is compelled to have their pronouns in their signature given what was established in Forstater, that being gender critical is a protected philosophical belief.

Article 9(1) of the GDPR "provides a list of special categories of personal data whose processing is generally prohibited unless any of the exceptions under Article 9(2) GDPR applies. The list is exhaustive and includes data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation."

Even if someone wasn't relying on Forstater, sex life or sexual orientation is taken to include " information about an intended gender change or one that has already taken place". So if you made it mandatory and someone felt compelled to reveal a gender change or a non binary identity etc.

Any employer who does this is getting themselves in a minefield if they presume that making it optional will mean that they can benefit from the exceptions under 9(2), they're ostensibly getting you to reveal your beliefs by making it optional one could argue

gdprhub.eu/Article_9_GDPR

We had this at work. I haven't done it and no one has said anything.

One of our divisions did this and their director told our MD during a meeting it was a good idea to do it. Both men. The MD told him he wasn’t asking, inviting or telling anyone to put personal information in their work email signature and he would prefer if they ditched it to. Waiting to see what happens with that one.

We have it at my work too but only about 10% of people have done it.

This was in the Times today if it helps...

Pronoun choice is harmful, says tech billionaire Ben Chestnut

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/62d14612-5174-11ed-af60-3f894fe60060?shareToken=e41ad705b3925f9a090daf4f8df1a718

Could you ask for a list of pronouns then change them daily so no one can keep up, highlighting how silly it is?

Or ask if you identify as a man will you get paid more?

I read the article. Interesting to see he resigned / was sacked a month later

Asking staff to declare pronouns is a way to appear progressive and forward thinking, without spending a dime. No wonder employers are keen. And I can see why young / naive employees fall for it

As is only just come up i think you can wait it out a bit. Someone enquired a similar request around my work place, i think it was a never of staff not in a management role, that certainly helps. I waited it out. Some folks did it, some didn't. I figured

Such a weird thread… don’t do it if you don’t want to? It’s optional. You’re creating a scenario about it becoming mandatory to find something to get mad about imo, that energy could be better used.

Sorry. I figured i could wait to be the last one, someone has to be, no harm in that, but in the end i didn't have to address the issue.

I feel a little pop of disappointment when I see they've been added to someone's footer, especially when it's a woman I previously respected. I feel a sense of relief when a meeting that has gone well is followed up with an email, and there is no dreaded brackets after their name...

When I get a few in a row displaying them I feel marginalised and vulnerable. I recognise inducing those feelings in me, as a GC feminist, is very much unimportant though as my right to feel I work in an environment that includes me is of no interest....

If pushed: 'My gender identity is private, and irrelevant to my work.'

I found it head deskingly ironic when an email had 'Mrs Veronica smithe, she/her,' recently.

Our work said this but no one did it not even the woke members of the team. You see the odd email from London usually with them on.

I don't like those patronising paragraphs that say "I'm sending email outside of normal office hours but please don't feel you have to reply until your normal office hours". It worries me that people are so stupid now that they need to see that. I've literally never expected anyone to respond immediately and it's a real arsehole who berates people for not replying when they are OOO.

I suspect some of my male colleagues would be asking, "what's a pronoun?" Fortunately, we haven't been asked, and I will not be doing so if we do. I have seen some mails with it on,mostly US-based women.

Who/me

This is the really important bit of that CEOs letter, I reckon:

“I am finding that peeps are no longer motivated by meaningful work — they are motivated to make political statements. They are using company time and company resources to win a game, against their opponents, in a game that is raging in their minds and on social media"

apart from that awful 'peeps', obviously

This happened at my work. I just ignored it, nothing has ever been said and plenty of people didn't declare there pronouns.

There must have been a lot of pressure on our managers to do it as all of a sudden every single female manager (bar one slightly older manager) suddenly had their pronouns in their signature. It made me sad, these were women I respected and I can't help but inwardly cringe everytime I see it.

Funnily enough, none of the male managers have included their pronouns. Wonder why 🤔

I love this.

I feel the same. I feel slightly embarrassed when I see them added to the email. Like a veneer has fallen off and you have to reassess in your mind. Recategorised as a bit less bright and bold.

We/us/ours.

I wouldn't assume anything these days. There's probably a Mrs with he/him out there somewhere.

I have a neutral name. I had a client ask me after a couple of months of remote collaboration, ‘Are you a girl Pauli or a boy Pauli, by the way?’ Then he sent me a rambling anecdote about a childhood visit to Wales, and several photos of his dog.

I left him unenlightened. It seemed a good plan.

I was asked by a senior male at work, why I hadn't done this, so I suggested "hag/crone" and he accused me of being uncooperative.
I wish I had the nerve to actually do it!

My last organisation tried this.

When pushed, I replied that a) my sexuality was none of the company's concern and b) since I don't take offence at whatever pronoun is used (or not), there was no reason for me to be specific.

I suggested it was intruding on my legal right to a private life.

That was the end of the conversation.