This content is sponsored by Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP.
Right now, employees may be experiencing anxiety and feeling excluded as result of Stay-at-Home Orders issued in various states to address the coronavirus pandemic. These feelings may linger once those Orders are lifted and we resume a new normal in the workplace. As such, employers, including those in leadership and management positions, must be aware of these feelings and avoid actions that may further exclude employees. This includes, but is not limited to, recognizing the importance of pronouns in the workplace.
By pronouns, I am referring to the use of words such as “they”, “them”, “he”, “she”, or non-traditional pronouns such as “zi” or “zer.” A gender neutral or inclusive pronoun is one that does not associate an individual with a specific gender. The use of correct pronouns, before, during and after pride month and a pandemic, is imperative because it is the basic way to show respect to someone. Similar to not being able to judge a book by its cover, one cannot assume to know an individual’s gender pronoun. There’s no harm in asking someone for the correct pronouns because that recognizes their humanity and can make someone feel less alienated. In addition, the use of an incorrect pronoun may be perceived as a form of micro-aggression, as well as could “out” the employee to others in the workplace. Further, repeatedly using the wrong gender pronoun can create potential liability for the employer. For example, you have an employee who is a trans woman and asks co-workers to use she/her pronouns. If supervisors and co-workers refuse to do so or don’t use her new name, she could have a claim of gender discrimination and harassment. While an isolated mistake in failing to use the correct pronoun is likely not sufficient to give rise to a legal claim, repeated actions, combined with evidence of malicious intent would be sufficient to give rise to a claim.
So what can employers do to educate and encourage use of appropriate gender pronouns in the workplace? Here are some key areas to focus on:
1. Be Open Minded.
Many of us have preconceived notions of gender norms and identity. Those outdated beliefs are not appropriate for the workplace. There are a number of individuals who identify as neither male nor female, or as transgender, gender neutral, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, etc. Since gender identity is personal and internal to each individual, the outward appearance of an individual may not be the same as the individual’s gender identity. As such, avoid making assumptions based on appearance and be willing to forego outdated gender norms in the workplace. Doing so will assist with avoiding embarrassment, for all parties, and tension in the workplace.
2. Be Conscious of Pronoun Privilege.
Pronoun privilege is the idea that if you rarely think about your gender pronoun and/or it is irrelevant to you, then you could have pronoun privilege. In other words, unlike other individuals, you do not have to worry, fear or have anxiety about someone using the correct pronoun when talking to or about you. Accordingly, it may be hard for you to empathize with someone who experiences the opposite. As such, make a conscious effort to understand why gender pronouns are important, and even further, use them appropriately.
3. Do Not Isolate Individuals.
While changing the office environment does not happen overnight, there are steps that can be taken now. Those steps may involve changing workplace dress codes to eliminate concepts of gender norm. It may also involve allowing individuals to use their desired pronouns in emails, company directories, and internal and external communications. Making this the norm in your workplace, but not a mandate, shows solidarity which may encourage transgender and non-binary individuals to include their preferred pronouns in their communications. Revising employee handbooks to remove “he” and “she” and replacing those terms with “employees”, “they” or “them” is another step you can take, as well as reviewing internal personnel forms to eliminate the gender labels “male” or “female”. Further changes may also include creating gender-neutral bathrooms, reviewing medical benefits and leave policies for transgender and non-binary employees, and actively recruiting transgender and non-binary employees.
4. Foster Inclusiveness at Meetings and Events.
In addition to considering locations to host your events that may already have gender-neutral bathrooms, be mindful of other ways to foster inclusiveness at meetings and events. For example, in the opening session of a conference, substitute “welcome ladies and gentlemen” with “welcome everyone”. Little changes like this will go a long way in making all feel welcome. Sometimes at meetings and events, individuals may go around the room and introduce themselves. Encourage individuals to also state the pronoun they use during such introductions. If you use name tags at your events, leave a space for individuals to write-in their gender pronoun. This will help eliminate the hesitation to ask an individual the correct pronoun to use when addressing the individual.
The above are suggestions for starting the discussion and use of pronouns in the workplace. However, it is up to each individual employer to educate their workforce on the importance of pronouns and find the best way to integrate them into their workplace.
