Marks & Spencer Introduces Pronoun Badges For Staff

Props to Marks & Spencer – the supermarket chain has taken strides to ensure all their staff feel included and happy as part of their working environment.

The store is offering staff the chance to display their pronouns on their name badges, and aims to help colleagues and customers know whether to call someone ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’ when talking to employees.

Food PR for the brand, David Parke, shared the update on LinkedIn.

David Parke - LinkedIn)

“I'm so grateful that Marks and Spencer actively encourages us to share our pronouns at work, whether on our name badges or in our email signatures,” he said. 

“We introduced these new badges a few months ago, and they've already helped start some very necessary conversations around gender identity and non-binary experiences!”

Sasha Misra, associate director of communications and campaigns at LGBTQ+ charity, Stonewall, welcomed the new initiative by Marks and Spencer.

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“It’s great to see an increasing number of businesses offering the option of badges with pronouns for staff,” she told ITV News.

“Creating an inclusive workplace starts with everyday actions, and having pronouns on badges is a simple yet impactful way to make sure LGBTQ+ identities are respected – for employees and customers alike.”

The move comes as a number of other companies have encouraged their staff to specify and record their preferred gender pronouns.

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Investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs, recently 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".

Elsewhere, 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 staff, which included asking someone which pronouns they prefer to use. 

It is thought that around one in every 250 people in the UK identify as non-binary – and we applaud companies looking to make their work environments fair and comfortable for all their employees, regardless of how they identify.

Topics: Shopping, Marks And Spencer, News

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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