Qantas introduces gender-neutral language

The Australian airline has encouraged staff to stop using ‘gender-inappropriate’ language in the workplace

Qantas launches its 'Spirit of Inclusion' initiative this month (Wikipedia)

Australian airline Qantas has launched an initiative to encourage staff to stop using gender inappropriate language that might cause offence to the LGBTI community.

The airline has included WordsAtWork materials on the company intranet that suggest employees refrain from gender-specific words such as “honey”, “love” and “guys”, while the terms “partner”, “spouse” and “parents” are preferred above the more exclusionary “husband and wife” and “mum and dad”.

“We have a long and proud history of promoting inclusion among our people, our customers and society, including support of indigenous issues, gender parity in business and marriage equality,” said Qantas’ people and culture group executive Lesley Grant.

The materials were included as part of the airline’s “Spirit of Inclusion” initiative that began in March.

They also suggest employees should try to refrain from “manterruptions”, whereby a man interrupts when a woman is speaking.

“Language can make groups of people invisible,” says the resource. “For example, the use of the term ‘chairman’ can reinforce the idea that leaders are always men.”

Colonialism is also addressed in the guide, encouraging staff to be mindful of using the terms “colonisation”, “occupation” or “invasion” rather than “settlement” when describing the arrival of Europeans in Australia in the 18th century.

“Describing the arrival of Europeans as a ‘settlement’ is a view of Australian history from the perspective of England rather than Australia,” it says.

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said the move was “political correctness gone way over the top”.

“Frankly, if companies like Qantas want to give their customers a better a deal, they can scrap all these inclusion units, just scrap them and save the money, because it’s just rubbish this idea that we need a corporate thought police,” he told 4BC radio.

“I mean really and truly, it is a complete and absolute utter waste of money. Qantas staff are very good people, they are decent, sensitive people, and they don’t need this kind of nonsense. It is an insult to them.

“This is the very weird and strange times in which we live.”