Gender-Neutral Workplace Policies

Gender-neutral workplace policies were highly mentioned this week. One article featured insurance company Zurich’s increase in women applicants after making job descriptions gender neutral and allowing flexible working options. Another article highlighted two firms in India, the Godrej Group and Hindustan Unilever, for being listed as one of the top employers for LGBTQ+ individuals. The article mentioned they were given this title due to their inclusive policies such as gender-neutral restrooms. Multiple articles mentioned law firm Clifford Chance’s new policy change to eliminating gendered language in their legal documents and promoting gender-neutral language. Clifford Chance’s Global Director of Inclusion stated, “We are continuously collaborating with our clients to see how we can better advance our commitment to inclusion. The words and language we use matter greatly. They send a signal of our values and can have both a positive and negative impact on others and on our culture. Removing gendered language from our communications is a subtle but impactful way of demonstrating what we stand for, and I’m delighted to see these steps taken in our firm.”

However, one article mentioned how gender-neutral policies can be harmful in the workplace. The article went on to discuss that gender equity and inclusion is needed in order for marginalized communities to succeed in the workplace, meaning employers need to acknowledge people’s differences rather than treat them as neutral. Another article discussed a study on how the gender-neutral distribution of stimulus packages in Germany were advantageous to men in the workforce. The study investigating this issue stated, “The measures are therefore not suitable for cushioning the gender-specific consequences of the crisis, but it can be assumed that they will reinforce them.” The study concluded that the stimulus packages should have had a “gender-specific impact assessment.”