He, she or they: How companies are starting to address calls for a gender-neutral workplace
One of the trickiest parts? Which pronouns to use: The answer is “they” for the subject, "them” for the object and “theirs” for the possessive.
What is known as the pronoun go-round, in which people introduce themselves and the pronouns they use at meetings and conferences is more common in the nonprofit and academic worlds. The go-round and specifying pronouns in email signatures are still relatively new and evolving practices in the private sector, advocates say. They can also be difficult to master, since it’s not the grammar taught in elementary school.
“Soon this will take off and be much more widespread in the mainstream,” said Deena Fidas, managing director of global stakeholder engagement at Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, a San-Francisco-based nonprofit group. “A lot of this work is how you make a house a home,” she said. “These types of practices go beyond benefits and personnel...