Staff Survey - "Gender" used instead of "Sex". Should I email to question this?

[EuphorbiaPlant]

We've had our annual staff survey come around

There are a set of questions about whether people are treated equally and with respect regardless of their sexual orientation, disability, and all of the other protected characteristics in the Equality Act.

The survey doesn't explicitly say that these questions are linked to the EA but anyone who knows the EA knows that they are because there nine questions which directly map on to the protected characteristics of the EA.

But one of the questions asks whether people are treated well regardless of their 'gender', not their 'sex'. There is a separate question for 'gender reassignment'.

Should I email to question this....
OTOH, they have clearly misunderstood the EA.

OTOH, they may say that the questions aren't related to the EA (because they don't explicitly say that they are) and that they did mean gender and not sex. Emailing will also, of course, out me as a TERF

I work at a university FYI.

Oh don't be an arse. Just answer the questions or don't.

Yes, please email them. They need to change the wording. I’m sure there are plenty of people like myself who don’t have a “gender” which means that the question is meaningless.

@cricketmum84

Oh don't be an arse. Just answer the questions or don't.

That’s a bit rude. Why is she an arse? She’s asking a very pertinent question.

If you work in a university you won't be the only one to email!

Because I am sick to fucking death of mumsnet and their fucking Pearl clutching about being asked about gender rather than sex.

It's just insulting and unnecessary.

Absolutely fed up of the transphobic nasty tripe that gets spouted on here.

And maybe I'll be in for a pasting but I, quite frankly, couldn't give a shiny shit.

@cricketmum84

Because I am sick to fucking death of mumsnet and their fucking Pearl clutching about being asked about gender rather than sex.

It's just insulting and unnecessary.

Absolutely fed up of the transphobic nasty tripe that gets spouted on here.

And maybe I'll be in for a pasting but I, quite frankly, couldn't give a shiny shit.

Yet you clicked on a thread where the title was clearly about the sex/gender issue

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm leaning towards emailing.

My thoughts are to politely ask in the first instance why the wording is 'gender' and not 'sex' when this set of questions are clearly mapping to the EA.

I'm tapping out and hiding this thread.

I haven't spent the last two years supporting and helping a trans family member to read a load of insulting nasty bullshit.

People like you make me so angry.

and there you are again!

I'd politely email and day it's great that they are looking at this however they haven't used the EA terms. There is a legal obligation to use the correct terms so you are just letting them know

Yeah I'd email. Women are discrimated against in rhe workplace and have health and parenting issues that men don't eg breastfeeding, menopause. Id just say that you're not clear what gender means, it's very subjective, but you'd really like your Uni to cover issues around sex.

If they say they are not related to the EA I'd ask why they are checking then.

email and ask what you do if you don't 'identify' as a gender.

These are brilliant suggestions, thank you! I will draft an email tomorrow.

It is insulting, as a woman, to be asked my gender. Women have had to fight for their rights. I don't have a gender, I have a sex.

@FrippEnos

email and ask what you do if you don't 'identify' as a gender.

Great point, thank you

FWIW, I have started to put "other/own terms" and write sex = female.

@HunterHearstHelmsley

FWIW, I have started to put "other/own terms" and write sex = female.

Unfortunately there are no free-text comments. It's a set of questions rated 1-5 for how much you agree/disagree that people are respected regardless of their [insert protected characteristic but change sex to gender ]

Please do write.

And it is not transphobic to want accuracy in respect of protected characteristics. No one is advocating removing gender reassignment as a protected characteristic, only ensuring the fact that sex is also a protected characteristic is accurately reflected and recorded.

How does this sound....

Dear XX,

I am pleased to be able to contribute to the staff survey and offer feedback on the University as a place of work.

It's clear that questions 10-19 are pertaining to how well the University upholds the Equality Act (2010) in its practices and policies. I am pleased that the University is taking its commitment to the Equality Act seriously. However, question 13 asks us to rate how far we agree with the statement that 'People here are treated fairly regardless of their gender' despite 'gender' not being a protected characteristic under the Equality Act.

The other protected characteristics are represented and listed accurately. Can you please advise why 'gender' is listed instead of 'sex' in this survey and whether this will be amended so that the survey can accurately capture the University's upholding of the law?

You can't put XX someone may get offended.

@FrippEnos

You can't put XX someone may get offended.

@FrippEnos that was a good spot! that letter is brilliant. Let us know how you get on.