Use of Pronouns

Proper pronoun use is a small but significant step towards building a more inclusive, respectful, and equitable workplace. It helps create a culture where all individuals feel seen, heard, and valued, which is essential for fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Practical Steps to Ensure the Use of Preferred Pronouns at Work

1. Lead by Example

• Include Pronouns in Signatures: Encourage employees to add their pronouns to email signatures, LinkedIn profiles, and other digital communication channels.
• Introduce with Pronouns: Leaders and managers should model the behavior by introducing themselves with their pronouns in meetings and communications.

2. Use Gender-Neutral Language

• Address Groups Inclusively: Use terms like “team,” “folks,” or “everyone” instead of gendered terms like “ladies and gentlemen”.
• Inclusive Terms: Replace gender-specific terms such as “maternity leave” with “parental leave” and use “partner” or “spouse” instead of “husband” or “wife”.

3. Provide Education and Training

• Regular Training Sessions: Conduct mandatory training on using correct pronouns and inclusive language.
• Continuous Learning: Offer ongoing education opportunities rather than one-time sessions to ensure the practice becomes ingrained in the company culture.

4. Create a Supportive Environment

• Encourage Voluntary Disclosure: While promoting pronoun sharing, ensure it remains voluntary to avoid pressuring employees who may not be ready to disclose their gender identity.
• Normalize Pronoun Sharing: Make sharing pronouns a regular part of introductions and communications to normalize the practice.

5. Address Mistakes Appropriately

• Correct and Apologize: If someone uses the wrong pronoun, they should correct themselves, apologize, and try to use the proper pronoun in the future.
• Practice Pronouns: Encourage employees to practice using correct pronouns to prevent mistakes and create a more inclusive environment.

6. Implement Policies and Consequences

• Anti-Discrimination Policies: Ensure that company policies explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression, including intentional misgendering.
• Consequences for Misgendering: Include intentional misgendering and deadnaming in the formal definition of harassment and outline clear consequences for such behavior.

7. Visible Support from Leadership

• Senior Leadership Engagement: Ensure senior leaders actively support and participate in pronoun initiatives to demonstrate the company’s commitment to inclusivity.