Pronouns in the Workplace
Cator Sparks
With more people feeling confident in living their authentic lives in the corporate world, sometimes, the corporate world has to catch up with the times. Take pronouns for instance. A few years ago, this wasn’t a topic, but with the recognition of ‘non-binary’ as a gender, a new set of pronouns has been introduced. To start, non-binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male nor female—identities that are outside the gender binary. They understand their gender in a way that goes beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman.
While it may seem like a new phenomenon, non-binary identities have been recognized for many different cultures for years. There are ‘two-spirit’ people in the many indigenous tribes and ‘Hijras’ in South Asian culture.
Non-binary people use ‘they’/’them’ pronouns. When you are talking about someone who is non-binary you can say, “I saw them at the park today! They were having a picnic with some friends.” Also, you can simply use their name, “I saw Robin in the park today! Robin was having a picnic with some friends.”
Since this is new territory for many, here are some tips on how to be respectful of non-binary people.
Before you even meet them, include their gender on your company application forms. This shows them that they are applying to a company that already sees them and respects them.
Bathrooms can be challenging for non-binary people since they may not feel comfortable being in a male or female bathroom. It’s best to have unisex bathrooms to alleviate this issue, which has already been a trend in the workplace for over a decade.
If you feel unsure about someone’s pronouns, simply ask. “Hi Robin, great to meet you! What are your pronouns? Mine are he/his.” This is a warm, genuine way to get to know this person.
It’s ok to make mistakes! If you call someone the wrong pronoun, just apologize and move on.
Employees who may need more help understanding this identity can reach out to a Boon coach to dig deeper, and ask questions in a safe space. Alternatively, if you have non-binary employees who would like a safe space to open up to someone, Boon has coaches who work with and are a part of the LGBTQ community.