I've more often than not seen it used by HR people in order to satisfy some corporate edict. I deal with people in the business world every day and have never had anyone tell me in person, nor in an email what their "Pronouns" are, if they did, I'd probably laugh about it and get in trouble for that.

My job forbids it, names only ...the manager said." it's an office not a college campus"😄

I’m amazed at the tone of so many of these responses. Really, why do you all care if someone specifies their pronouns? Is it that different from specifying a preferred name so people know what to call you? I have a ton of clients and friends who do that for reasons unrelated to gender identity. I also have several business colleagues with Asian names who specify pronouns in their correspondence because it’s not clear to Americans from their names.

It seems like the most basic professional courtesy to respect someone’s wishes in how they want to be addressed, and why shouldn’t they specify it to make everyone’s lives easier? The amount of contempt on this issue is really troubling. If there were a manager in my organization who forbid people to put that on their emails, that manager wouldn’t be in a supervisory role for long. Management is about empowering people and treating them with respect, not bullying them.

Nope. Still regarded as nonsense by most people.

Some employers require this. Even if it’s voluntary, by adding her pronouns, Alison is demonstrating her solidarity with trans people even if her gender is obvious.

I like nouns.

I am pro noun.

I do have them next to my name. They are not manually addded by me in the email signature, but are added by IT for everyone next to the name and email address, based on the info provided when we joined. Some people opt not to provide them though, I did. Many people don't recognize that my name is that of a female!

I work for a very woke, large company. They publish an email signature template that includes pronouns. They also have a section in their HR online employee profile page where you can declare pronouns.

I refuse to participate in such ridiculousness.

we need to reopen the asylums.

One of my team got married.
So she changes from Miss H to Mrs F.
All happy so far?
But Mrs F wished to be called Miss H still professionally.
Still Happy?
That was OK until I inadvertently called Mrs F, MrsF in public.
An easy mistake to make . OK so far?
But Mrs F made a formal complaint about me calling her Mrs F in public.
But during the wait Mrs F decided to be Mrs F in public.
Clear? MrsF wanted to be called Mrs F.
So the complaint read, Mrs F ( known as MrsF ) complains that you called her Mrs F.
I think we have got there.

This is actually true.

Some people have a name that works for both genders like Ashley or Morgan. I’ve met female Dylan’s and Charlie’s.

I used to have to disguise my gender in written communication because of the misogynistic culture in my profession. These days, now my career is more secure, I am happy to broadcast it widely, but not on my email signature . . it's quite cluttered enough with the logos, internet links, and 'mission statement' that I am obliged to carry and which obscure minor details such as my phone number 🙄

I notice that a majority of the people on this thread who say that putting pronouns on email signatures is “virtue signaling” or “BS” or otherwise offensive—also happen to use a specific gender identifier in their own signatures for this very site. So unsurprisingly that choice is OK for them, just not for others.

Children are starving, people are dying, and others get precious about a pronoun in front of their name.. Some people just dont get it...😷

I don't. Not in ordinary posts but a lot of forms do as for your title, many from a menu.

What I find more awkward is where someone uses a name originating in a language I don't know, such as an Asian one, without a title, because I don't know how to address the sender properly in return.

I want to be polite and treat them with respect but don't know if the person is a man or woman; and in some cultures the family name precedes the individual name.

(As in Chinese names: the present premier is Chairman Xi because Xi is his surname. I learnt that from a scientific paper headed with a brief note on the etiquette, because its authors were British and Chinese - opposite name orders).

If it's a professional relationship, that would explain it. It's the latest woke thing to do in America these days.

The idea is to promote "inclusiveness" and address people in the way they want to be addressed - but as someone who is gendered other, it doesn't really float my boat. I'd rather be misgendered for a while and reveal what feels right for me when I'm comfortable than when some company boss tells me to.

Yes it's an indication of the stupidity of our times, but in fairness, one who was unfamiliar with the name in question might assume it were another silly instance of a family name (which the '-son' ending would normally imply) being used as a given name wherewith a child of either gender might have been saddled.
Wondering now whether things would be easier or harder or just different in a language whose first and second person pronouns were also gendered?

I found two types of people who put pronouns in emails. One deals with mental health, the other is very upper management and probably doing something illegal.

So. You know. The first is genuinely an introduction into their life and I think the second is a smoke screen to look sensitive.

I use they whenever I can to refer to people in email to not misgender. Because it just creates less tension. Like pronouncing a name correctly.

I don't.

I work for 4 different employers and it's not mandatory in 3 of those workplaces. The fourth gig is based on self employment, and I don't find it necessary because of the nature of the work.

My own feeling is that the way people address each other in any situation should always allow for respect and courtesy, and I don't find that all the pronoun signaling actually helps that.

But - I don't lose my fucking mind if somone else does.

Yeah, I have started seeing this crop up more and more. The weird thing is these people act like they are super-enlightened. I was in a grocery store over the weekend and the cashier had a name tag with her pronouns. I was like, "seriously... is that really necessary." I didn't say it out loud though.

Just bring in the experts on this if you can find them. 🤨 😅

Nope. Because I never care about gender in the professional compacity.

I don't possess that kind of narcissism. Guess I ought to get with the times.

@Sharon Well yes, that’s certainly one way of doing it. Also, my understanding of the usage in French, German and Italian has always been that Madame/Mademoiselle Frau/Fraulein Signora/Signorina are principally distinctions by age rather than status, though I may be wrong.

No I find the whole pronoun thing silly.

The deviousness of forced implication casts a shadow on what ought be and formerly was, confidently understood.

By shifting the benefit of doubt to treacherous deceivers, concealing genuine self, evading identification and confounding the perception of their victims.

My pro nouns are she/ her

Let’s take a deep breath

I don’t, but I’ve been asked on certain documents my "pronoun of preference". Even on medical questionnaires where I’ve already identified myself as female. It’s bizarre. 😳

Considering that the lady in the ID department called me "my beautiful" while making my passport photo... I don't really know what is normal anymore. 😂

I do for work email I think most here (university) have it in their signature now.

Legal;!im fairly confident its expressly illegal to require a pronoun. Maybe they dont care either. Fewer letters cheaper shirt.

I’ve only ever seen job titles under email signatures. I think only pertinent info like that should clutter up a business email.

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My work seems to encourage it. I don't bother. I figure if people guess wrong I won't be wildly upset if I correct them.

I do not but I’m seeing a few government offices I deal with regularly that have pronouns in their email

She's just excited because she now knows what is a pronoun and nobody even knew what that was ten minutes ago.

I don't, some do. It's to satisfy ESG criteria and keep the alligators off a Corp's heels.

Ive seen it below someones sign off
Ex.
Thanks,
Matt
He/his/him
But no u dont
Lol

I think if it's stated like that, they are prolly trans.

If I had to... Master/Sir/Your Highness works

The world is becoming ridiculous for sure.

It's a joke...my pronouns are rum and bourbon....

My pronouns are they/was.

It is a choice its not a legality

Why does it matter? It harms literally nobody and helps some others feel accepted. Such thin skin people have these days

Heshe, and Shehe

No. There is no point.