Marks & Spencer giving out pronoun badges to staff so customers know how to address them
MARKS & Spencer is giving out pronoun badges to staff so customers know whether to call them “he”, “she” or “they”.
Diversity managers started the initiative as part of a gender inclusivity drive.
Employees at M&S stores and offices across the country will be able to have their preferred pronoun printed on the badges.
The new tags include the M&S logo, a first name and the option of chosen pronouns: “He/Him/His”, “She/Her/Hers”, and “They/Them/Their”.
In a post on LinkedIn beside a picture of his pronoun badge, M&S Food PR manager David Parke said the tags have helped employees to speak openly about gender identity.
Sasha Misra, associate director of communications and campaigns at Stonewall, said: “Creating an inclusive workplace starts with everyday actions
“Having pronouns on badges is a simple yet impactful way to make sure LGBTQ+ identities are respected — for employees and customers alike.”
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But social campaigner Nick Buckley from Go Woke Go Broke, which believes firms should stay out of politics, bran-ded the move “virtue signalling”.
M&S said the recent initiative came after staff asked for the choice to include gender pronouns on name badges.