Pronouns in Email Signatures

[Petal34]

Hello,

I just wanted to start off by saying I know this is a bit of a contentious topic so I do not want to have a debate about wider gender issues and what people do or do not agree with etc. I am fully supportive of anyone however they wish to identify.

My question is, at work we have been asked to include our pronouns on our email signature. At first I thought it was a no brainer but having sat with it a little while I’m not sure it’s something which should be compulsory. I read lots of points of view from people who are trans and non-binary on the subject and although mainly positive, it does seem a little split on whether it’s a helpful or not.
On the plus side, personally I have found it really helpful to know which pronouns to use, even just in cases where you’re talking to someone over email and they have a gender neutral name, but also in cases where the person is trans or non-binary. Some other positive aspects people reported were that seeing others include their pronouns made them feel like ‘yeah this person gets it’, and they felt safe and understood.

The negative I came across is making something like this compulsory could force someone to ‘out’ themselves before they’re ready or still processing for themselves. Not everyone is comfortable to explore this in a work environment. I’m not sure it’s right to force people to pick a gender if that’s not what’s right for them either.

My other personal hesitation to do it is perhaps a little irrational, but I get really frustrated by being defined or treated differently because of my gender. As a lot of women do, there have been a lot of instances where I’ve been treated differently or not taken seriously because of my gender. I know I am a woman but it’s only one part of my identity and I would rather not have it as part of my email signature. It’s not a major issue but I don’t feel like my gender is what defines me as a person.

But then it does get a bit awkward as I work for a small business and I think most people will adopt it and it would make it look like I am making some sort of statement.

I would be really interested to know what policies people have in place at work. Personally I think it should be optional, and to ensure that the gender and inclusion policies at work are embedded in the culture.

I'm a lesbian (in response to someone upthread saying the LGBT staff group) and I refused in my last workplace.
I said 'My Name's Sarah, take your best guess'.
I think female erasure and more specifically lesbian erasure is at play here and I won't be part of it.

Same here! I’m Mrs Coffeepot, and no one has ever been confused

"Standard pronouns for my chromosomes."

Absolutely not.

I think it creates a hostile environment for women in the workplace, as surely as hanging girlie calendars used to do the trick. By exposing women to stereotype threat, workplaces are fucking over women when they introduce pronouns in e-mail signatures.

I wouldn’t do this.

I’d just say that I wouldn’t state what pronoun I use any more that I’d state my title. I think it’s sexist, discriminatory and retrogressive. It is of no relevance professionally what biological sex someone is, or what gender identity they have.

If people want to state it because they think that otherwise other people won’t get it right, then they are free to do so, of course.

It’s been brought up a few times in our company and some people add them but I’m currently not using them and have no intention of doing so. I have my professional qualifications in my signature and I think from my first name it’s pretty obvious I’m female but don’t feel the need to specify it and don’t include my marital status as that’s also irrelevant to my job.

A friend of mine worked for a massive retailer who puts pronouns on name badges. The enormous irony being that they didn't ask her how she'd like to be addressed before they made her badge, they just assumed she/her 👀

Peak virtue signalling.

I can’t think of when I last needed to refer to someone’s pronouns in a work email tbh - if I’m emailing them I don’t need them as I’m not referring to them in 3rd person,
so it’s a no for me!!!!

I think my work place are going to introduce pronouns. They've already made the disabled toilet an all sex toilet, meaning disabled people have a longer wait for the sole toilet they can use. I worry about being bullied or disciplined if I refuse to add pronouns. There is no union so how can I get support if this happens? I love my job other than the woke trans bullshit.

I just didn't do it. I didn't even refuse. I just refuse to. I think the whole thing is a load of fucking bollocks.

Why would someone you only deal with on email or by phone need to know either what sex you are or what "gender you identify as"?

My role is pretty much 100% email and phone based. My sex has zero relevance for anything. I do not care how someone I have never met refers to me to someone else.

I agree with all of this. I also find it really annoying when online forms refuse to allow you to progress unless you select a title. It's none of their business.

When I'm emailing people for work, there are things that it might be very useful to know but that generally aren't in their signature.

Time zone (in case we need to arrange a conference call - some of these involve 3 different time zones around the world)
Job role (are they techy or an account manager - what is their knowledge level of the current project?)
Office location (for people within my ever-growing company - are they across the hallway, so I could go over for a chat, or 300 miles away)
What they look like (in case they are across the hallway or in the kitchen and I do want to track them down for a chat).

Sex/gender/pronouns? No, I don't need this. 'Dear X, Hope the project is going well, can we have a call to catch up? Kind Regards, Y". No pronouns necessary.

We keep everything on first name basis - the pronoun thing would be weird

I made an appointment the other day to get a design done for some bedroom furniture. The designer e-mailed me today and she had pronouns in her e mail signature.

I cancelled the appointment. I just don't want to be round that shit,.

I'd have done the same - it gives me the bloody rage. Dd wanted to put her pronouns on LinkedIn - I told her it doesn't belong on a networking site, I know people do it - but I think it's not the place.

I’d refuse and say why.

But it’s a good way of making a mental note of which colleagues have the critical thinking capacity of a sheep and swerving them from then onwards whenever necessary.

Yes, I have done the same, too, with a potential tradesperson.

It’s as foolish a move as letting potential clients know if you voted Leave or Remain.

I would never add my pronouns to my email signature. Ever. It makes me cringe when I see it on incoming emails.

Me too. Total cringe, as teenagers say.

Judith (she/her)
William (he/him)

No shit, Shylock.

Or football team, religion or labour vs Tory voter. Keep it to yourself.

The point is not only to avoid confusion about how to refer to you, but also to signal that you won’t make assumptions about how to address others, and you’re open to people sharing with you their preference.

Evidently that is more problematic for some people than others.

I am tempted to add ‘she/her/oi you’ to my email footer though…

Frankly, pronouns in sigs suggest to me, rightly or wrongly, that the person in question thinks trans rights trump women's rights. I assume (again, may be wrong about this) that GC women don't put pronouns in sigs unless it's forced on them.

It's really not just a neutral, welcoming, inclusive act.

This x 100.