HSBC rolls out pronouns to workers’ badges

In an effort to boost more inclusivity within the business, banking giant HSBC has introduced the addition of pronouns to its employees’ badges.

As part of the roll out, for the first time branch workers can choose to add their preferred pronoun to their name badges.

According to Yahoo!, Stuart Haire, head of retail banking as HSBC UK, shared that the move was important to ensure that employees do not feel alienated in the workplace.

“It’s vitally important that everyone feels they can be themselves in the workplace,” he said.

“When someone is referred to with a pronoun that doesn’t align with their identity, it can make them feel alienated and have a wider and long-lasting impact on them as a person.”

One employee revealed excitement for the initiative, sharing a picture of the new badge featuring her chosen pronouns.

Writing on LinkedIn, Laura Latham, cashier at HSBC UK, said: “I was SO excited to get my #pronouns badge for work today. One step closer to a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues and customers (sic).”

Building inclusivity

Other businesses have also introduced the use of pronouns on badges to boost their organisation’s inclusivity.

Late last year, retailer Marks & Spencer detailed its plans on LinkedIn, adding that it hoped the “amazing initiative” would encourage “as many of them as possible to wear whichever combination of pronouns is right for them”.

It pointed out that it would help to “continue to build an inclusive future, together”.

British telecoms firm O2 also gave its employees the choice to add their pronouns on their badges last year.  

The firm’s managing director of business, and executive sponsor for diversity and inclusion, Jo Bertram, explained: “At O2 we drive our inclusive commitments by empowering our people to have bold conversations, which can lead to initiatives by our employee networks that make a material difference in the workplace.”

With research from Totaljobs indicating that 60% of transgender employees have suffered workplace discrimination, taking these steps to introduce pronouns onto workers’ badges could be a crucial step in improving inclusivity within the workplace.

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