Sharing pronouns is a simple way to normalise not assuming someone's gender and it's one of the ways we can ensure we're driving inclusive workplaces. No one should force you to share your pronoun if you're not comfortable to do so.
The short answer is yes. There is nothing to prevent your employer asking employees to make voluntary pronoun declarations. However, speech rights are likely to be engaged when there is an element of compulsion.
Businesses should include language in their employee policies stipulating that employees can expect their colleagues to use the pronouns they use. Preferred name policies and self-identification tools can promote awareness and facilitate inclusivity.
It's generally optional to state your pronouns on a job application. Disclosing your pronouns supports an inclusive environment, but be mindful of the person receiving your application. You can easily add pronouns to your LinkedIn profile, email signature, resume, and other application materials.
It's an essential step toward inclusivity
Whether you're cisgender, transgender, or non-binary, listing your pronouns on professional materials is an important step toward workplace inclusivity.
Intentional refusal to use someone's correct pronouns is equivalent to harassment and a violation of one's civil rights. The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 expressly prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
Please don't. It's not unprofessional. There's a growing movement to include pronouns in things like email signatures to create a more inclusive environment for trans and non-binary employees. Your employee may be signaling support and inclusivity and/or may have encountered people misgendering him.
Adding gender pronouns to your company email signature is a great first step to building gender inclusivity in the workplace. It brings awareness to something that many people might not have thought about before.
Including pronouns may not suddenly change people's minds, as you say, but it's a useful reminder to avoid making assumptions and to address people correctly. It may also make it easier for some trans and nonbinary people to come out. A better guideline would ask you to consider including your pronouns.
An overwhelming 72% of hiring managers agree with the mindset that having clarity on a candidate's gender pronouns is beneficial and helps others be “respectful of their identity.”
If an employee does not wish to disclose their gender status you should not include them anywhere in the Workplace Profile or Workforce Management Statistics dataset. However, if an employee does wish to disclose their gender as female, male or non-binary, this field is mandatory to complete.
A pronoun shift is a grammatical error in which the author starts a sentence, paragraph, or section of a paper using one particular type of pronoun and then suddenly shifts to another. This often confuses the reader.
But, for example, intentionally or persistently misgendering trans colleagues at work would likely be harassment and misconduct which, subject in most cases to an appropriate investigation, may qualify for disciplinary action or even summary dismissal.
Pronouns commonly have a gendered association, however, anyone of any gender can use any pronouns that fit for them. Everyone has pronouns, not just transgender, nonbinary, or intersex people. Keep in mind that some people may use more than one set of pronouns to refer to themselves (e.g., 'she/her' and 'they/them').
Gendered pronouns specifically reference someone's gender: he/him/his or she/her/hers. Non-gendered or nonbinary pronouns are not gender specific and are most often used by people who identify outside of a gender binary.
But she says it was from the 18th century onwards that people started using male pronouns when describing someone of a non-specific gender in writing and this marks the time when opinions on what pronouns should be used started to change.
Y'all Means All! Greetings that include gender neutral language such as “friends, folks, y'all, you all, and everyone” ensure that you include all employees when saying hello or opening a meeting.
Others still only ask the question in countries where LGBT status is legal. However, some HR departments ask the question in order to ensure equal access to retirement programs and fertility planning by same-sex spouses, as well as equal family leave policies and insurance for transgender surgeries.
They see sharing pronouns as a way of getting to know someone. Knowing and using someone's pronouns avoids accidentally assuming an incorrect gender based on a name or an appearance. “People have the opportunity then to share how they want to be referred to,” said Sakurai, also founder of International Pronouns Day.
There is no legal requirement for workers to state their gender or preferred pronouns publicly, or any law that asks companies to make their employees choose a pronoun.
That said, an employer can prohibit workers from including their pronouns in their email signatures, but only if the policy is enforced consistently across the company. "The company can say company policy is that emails do not have identifier attached to them.
Try asking: “What pronouns do you use?” or “Can you remind me what pronouns you use?” It can feel awkward at first, but it is not half as awkward as making a hurtful assumption.
The relative pronoun can only be omitted when it is the object of the clause. When the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause, it cannot be omitted. You can usually tell when a relative pronoun is the object of the clause because it is followed by another subject + verb.