M&S give staff pronoun badges
David Parke, an M&S employee, shared his name badge as he welcomed the initiative (Picture: David Parke)

Staff at Marks & Spencer are being offered the chance to display their pronouns on name badges.

The company’s initiative will help customers and colleagues know whether to use ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’ when talking with employees.

It’s after staff asked for the choice to include pronouns on name badges to make the brand more gender exclusive.

Campaigners have welcomed the move, which is being offered to staff at offices and stores across the country.

Writing on Twitter, M&S Food PR manager David Parke said the tags have ‘already helped start some very necessary conversations around gender identity and non-binary experience.’

Companies are increasingly offering staff the chance to state their pronouns – whether in email signatures or in name badges.

Lloyds of London and Goldman Sachs are among the companies to recently issue guidance for staff on how to use gender pronouns.

Officials at the Ministry of Defence have been told to state their preferred gender pronouns in meetings, The Times reported.

Instagram also recently offered users the chance to specify their gender identity using a dedicated section on their profile.

Sasha Misra, Associate Director of Communications & Campaigns at Stonewall said: ‘It’s great to see an increasing number of businesses offering the option of badges with pronouns for staff.

‘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.’

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