Referring to a person has been confined to the norms, equating sex to gender. A perfectly fine-looking guy is automatically called he/his, and a gorgeous cool girl is referred to as she/her. It has been like this ever since and overlooked as simply a way of calling for someone, either a friend or stranger. However, to our fellow nonbinary, pronouns are beyond that, especially at the workplace.
Building an inclusive environment for our fellow transgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary became a dream that is somehow starting to be fulfilled. Imagine if they can express themselves fully without judgment and acknowledge their identified pronouns in all places. Most significantly, in the workplace where their potential is being discovered, they will be motivated, happy and confident.
SAP Insights published an article that revealed the trials of transgender employees in the United States. A survey in 2019 found that out of 105 transgender employees, 47% experienced discrimination. One of those discriminatory acts is "being pressured to act in traditionally gendered ways." This resulted in emotional exhaustion, which turned into low satisfaction at work and a greater willingness to quit.
The job itself is stressful enough for an individual. It should not be intensified by the emotional weight of hiding their identity. As the article quoted, pronouns have become a focal matter, and a driving force for inclusion as the companies shift to gender-inclusive workplaces. The shift should begin with the learning and acknowledgment of employers to their employees' pronouns in the workplace. These steps target the inclusivity of all employees, especially the transgender and nonbinary, along with the business value and proving acceptance.
A sense of psychological safety is established when employees can come to work knowing that they are valued for being themselves. That safety will boost productivity, creativity, innovation, excellent retention, employee satisfaction, and long-term success. Employers can get to know the employees' pronouns by personally asking them. They can also support the "designation of pronouns on email signatures" to create a more welcoming space.
Different corporate initiatives are now emerging worldwide; the Philippines is also taking steps to ensure we are taking part in inclusivity. The Manila Republic featured Teleperformance Philippines' advocacy in fostering inclusive workplaces, which also recognize gender-neutral pronouns (such as they/them) as one of their agendas. Their Senior Director for Communication Marketing, Marilyn Romero-Ventenilla, emphasized that the awareness of the person's pronouns from different genders is essential to avoid invalidation and dismissal.
On the other hand, the company TaskUs, according to CNN Philippines, allows their employees to voluntarily identify their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) and using of the names and pronouns of their choice in their communications (formal and informal), official ID, and corporate email address. These are only some of the initiatives towards inclusivity. Studies showed that opening a gender-sensitive workplace will allow all genders to express themselves freely, resulting in increased work productivity and outcome. This positive effect will transcend the economy and benefit the whole community.
Let's stop judging each other based on gender norms. Instead, normalize asking and sharing for our personal gender pronouns at all places and times, which must be the essential gesture of respect. The world is harsh, and peace has become harder to reach; let's not make the world more challenging to live in. Opening our hearts and minds to these topics will not do us harm. To assess if we are contributing to inclusivity, ask ourselves these questions. Are we a safe space for our LGBTQIA+ community or the opposite as we are full of invalidation that adds to their emotional baggage? The choice is ours, but I hope you decide to be the former. And by the way, before I forget, can I ask for your pronouns?
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Written by: Jessel Tuazon
Layout and Design by: Dan Kurt Buenaventura
Reference:
Baluyot, J. (2021, April 13). What does a ‘safe workplace’ look like for LGBTQ+ employees? CNN Philippines Life. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2021/4/13/lgbtq-inclusive-workplace-philippines.html
Brito, J. (2018, September 18). What Does It Mean to Misgender Someone? Healthline. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/misgendering
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Wheaton College Massachusetts. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://wheatoncollege.edu/campus-life/social-justice-community-impact/lgbtq/the-network/creating-a-gender-affirming-wheaton-a-guide/gender-pronouns-101/Gender Pronouns. (n.d.). University of Wisconsin Milwaukee LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/
Lessley, K., Overby, S., Sendra, C. (n.d.). Respecting Pronouns: Why Recognizing Employees’ Gender Expression Is Important to the Workplace. SAP INSIGHTS. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://insights.sap.com/respecting-employees-pronouns-important/
Tobia, J. (2016, May 12). Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gender-Neutral Pronouns. TIME. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://time.com/4327915/gender-neutral-pronouns/
Wamsley, L. (2021, June 2). A Guide To Gender Identity Terms. NPR. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/06/02/996319297/gender-identity-pronouns-expression-guide-lgbtq
Zambon, V. (2021, February 11). What to know about gender pronouns. Medical News Today. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gender-pronouns
“Ze” Pronouns. (n.d.). MYPRONOUNS.ORG. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.mypronouns.org/ze-hir
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