Council staff have been advised not to describe married couples as ‘husband and wife’ – over fears it could offend people who do not identify with a gender.
Instead, civil servants at the Royal Borough of Greenwich council in southeast London, have been told to use ‘spouse’ or ‘partner’.
They have also been asked to avoid saying ‘ladies and gentleman’ at public meetings and events, or requesting someone provide their ‘Christian name’, in an effort to be more inclusive.
The woke guidelines are provided in a 45-page booklet obtained by The Sun following a freedom of information request.
A foreword in the guide states: ‘For some of us, communicating in a more inclusive way is about changing deeply embedded habits.’
It adds: ‘It’s OK to make mistakes. Remember that if you are really sorry and apologise, you cannot keep making the same “mistake”.’
A spokesman for the council told The Times: ‘Our inclusive language guide is advisory only, and was designed to encourage staff to reflect on the use of language in the workplace and how it might impact their colleagues.
‘We are proud to have a very diverse workforce at Royal Borough of Greenwich, and are committed to making sure that everyone working here feels considered and included.
Council staff at the Royal Borough of Greenwich have been advised not to describe married couples as ‘husband and wife’ – over fears it could offend
The woke guidelines are provided in a 45-page booklet for employees at the London council
The latest guidelines come just weeks after Merton Council sent a 27-page inclusive language document round to employees encouraging them to change the words they use in the workplace – including ‘caregivers’ instead of ‘mum and dad’
‘Feedback we have received suggests the advice in the guide has been very well-received across the organisation.’
Earlier this month, Merton Council in south London sent a 27-page inclusive language document round to employees, encouraging them to change the words they use in the workplace.
The guide, also obtained by The Sun, tells workers to stop using the words ‘young’, ‘old’ or ‘mature’ to describe people, in a clampdown on ageism.
Terms such as ‘mum and dad’ and ‘mother and father’ are also a no-no and should be swapped out for ‘caregivers’, according to the document.
The Labour-run council says it aims to reduce the chances of staff making assumptions about a child’s biological parents.
The change in terminology is supposed to ‘recognise diverse family formation’.
In further semantic reforms, employees will be told to use ‘person-centred language’ instead of gendered terms, including ‘man the desk’.
The council’s equality and diversity team also said: ‘Avoid making assumptions about preferred names or nicknames without asking the individual first.’
Hannah Doody, chief executive of Merton Council, said however that the guide was more about ‘tips and suggestions’ rather than ‘banning’ the use of certain words.
She said: ‘I want to be really clear: the council has not banned the use of the term “mum and dad”.
‘The council produced a guide for staff which contains tips and suggestions on how to communicate with understanding and without making assumptions. These are not policies or instructions.
‘We regularly review all our guides and policies, and intend to review this guide to ensure it cannot be further misunderstood or misrepresented.’
Wokingham Council in Berkshire also came under the spotlight earlier this year after it advised staff not to use the term ‘hard-working families’ out of fear it could offend the jobless and make them feel ‘undeserving’.
Wokingham Council in Berkshire issued the advice in its new inclusive language guide.
Terms like ‘blacklist’ and ‘whitewash’ were among others outlawed as they could be considered ‘racist’ while staff were warned ‘sustained eye contact could be considered aggressive’ in some cultures.
