Co-worker editing documents with "(s)he" to just "he" about generic people

1246711

Comments

  • paddyrg
    paddyrg Posts: 13,543 Forumite
    if the Teapot Inspector finds a defect, (s)he must raise it with the Manager on duty or if (s)he is unable to contact the Manager then... blah blah blah

    If Inspector finds a defect, inspector must raise it with manager on duty or if inspector is unable to contact manager then...

    Neutral, formal, very clear and without ambiguity. Technical document isn't going to win points for creative writing and needs to be particularly obvious in QA processes - messing and mixing he and she could cause confusion. Where there are conditions like the above, though, it should all be about diagrams and flowcharts. Visio, xMind, SmartDraw, ProcessMaker all starting points.
  • Hedgehog99
    Hedgehog99 Posts: 1,425 Forumite
    Simply define at the start or in the small print that "he" can mean "he" or "she". There are probably other words, phrases or abbreviations you need to explain too, so just put it in the same section. "They" is grammatically incorrect.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,244
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Since this is potentially an equal opportunities issue with possible legal implications for the company, you might consider seeking guidance from HR.
  • sangie595
    sangie595 Posts: 6,092 Forumite
    It started off as "I don't like my work being corrected". It is now two pages of "is it sexist or not" and "what is the correct / preferred term / grammar / feel", and it now involves line managers, communications departments and human resources.

    The OP already observed that their management don't like them. Does anyone else think that this isn't the best way to change that situation?
  • qwert_yuiop
    qwert_yuiop Posts: 3,613
    First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    (S)he is tricky to pronounce.
    “What means that trump?” Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
  • xapprenticex
    xapprenticex Posts: 1,760 Forumite
    Tbh you do sound pretty jealous of the guy.
  • The usual advice is to pick a gender and stick with it. In fact she tends to be the default nowadays.

    Some people alternate the gender between sections and that's acceptable too.

    Definitely don't use they. It's neutral but the poor grammar will offset any good intention.

    Maybe ze will be a good thing after all!

    I have a background in (traditional-style) proofreading and editing, and "they" for the singular rankles with me too. But perhaps I should use that even though I know it to be incorrect as it does seem to be a genuine alternative these days.

    I don't know if he would have edited 'they' to 'he' but probably not, actually.
  • IAmWales wrote: »
    (S)he is political correctness gone mad, it's also distracting to the reader.

    I'm genuinely interested about this as I don't think (s)he is "PC gone mad" at all, why do you think so? It is just shorthand for "he or she" (or "she or he" I suppose!) without having to write all that out every time. Or do you think "she or he" is PC gone mad as well?

    Maybe I have come off to this guy (who, from our conversations etc in the past has more traditional views than I do about "women's roles" and so on) as a sort of PC-obsessed harridan? I hope not! I am genuinely just trying to use inclusive language, but I realise the conventions keep changing about that.
  • bouicca21 wrote: »
    Good grief. I thought (s)he was pretty well standard nowadays. Either that or you preface the document with a statement explaining the use of the male pronoun. Does the company not have an equality policy? Has it not occurred to them that the use of sexist language opens up them to a charge of discrimination?

    There is a generic "equality policy" (along with a load of other HR policies) about stuff like: age, gender, race, faith, marital status etc (I can't remember all of them but it is the "protected" characteristics) are not taken into account in any of our practices including recruitment, promotions, disciplinary action etc etc. I don't have it in front of me, but it's essentially that.
  • ohreally
    ohreally Posts: 7,525
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I occasionally use s/he, however it depends on the audience and context.

    Pick your fights, I'd suggest this isn't one of them.
    Don’t be a can’t, be a can.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards