Marks & Spencer diversity managers have begun introducing staff pronoun badges as part of a nationwide drive.
Employees at M&S stores and offices can have their preferred pronoun printed on their badges, which feature the M&S logo, a first name and the option of pronouns including “He/Him/His”, “She/Her/Hers” and “They/Them/Their”.
David Parke, the UK’s food PR manager at M&S, shared a post on LinkedIn on International Pronouns Day of his own badge, which included “He/Him/His”.
Mr Parke said the badges have “already helped start some very necessary conversations around gender identity and non-binary experience” at M&S.
Strategy aimed at creating inclusive culture
Writing on Twitter, he said: “I’m so grateful that Marks & Spencer actively encourages us to share our pronouns at work, whether on our name badge or in our email signatures.”
M&S said diversity managers thought of the initiative after staff members asked for the choice of including gender pronouns on name badges.
In May, it established a group of senior leaders to implement a diversity and inclusion strategy “aimed at creating an inclusive culture within a diverse environment for our colleagues, customers and communities”.
Other companies have urged employees to record their gender pronouns in recent years.
Lloyds of London issued a 29-page document to staff with instructions on how they could create a “stable emotional work environment” for trans and non-binary colleagues, which included asking someone which pronouns they prefer to use.
Goldman Sachs, the investment banking firm, launched an internal campaign to “provide education on what the different types of pronouns are” and “guidance for the way to use them”. It said the move was a “way to show respect and ensure a more inclusive environment”.
