Inclusion is a key component of our culture. We emphatically support equal treatment of all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, political affiliations, protected veteran status, or any other typically marginalized or excluded category of people.

This unequivocal belief encompasses any language used for employees, partners, clients, vendors, customers or any person or group we encounter in our business. Any language used internally or externally must reflect this core messaging.

Our use of inclusive communications means ensuring such descriptors are:

  1. necessary
  2. respectful of the category being mentioned.

Avoid labels and always use asset-based, not deficit-based, language.

Ask if you need to make a specific reference at all first, and then follow the below as guidance:

Ethnicity, Race + Nationality

Avoid ethnic or racial descriptors like White or Black, which refers to color instead of a group of people. Instead, use words such as “underrepresented,” “people of color,” “BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color),” if necessary.

DO: Hiring trends suggest a higher inclination to engage with underrepresented prospective employees than ever before.
DON’T: Hiring trends suggest a higher inclination to engage with Black and Hispanic employees than ever before.

Gender Identity

Avoid using gendered terms or binary assumptive language, such as “ladies-and-gentleman,” in favor of gender neutral inclusive alternatives (“flight attendant” instead of “stewardess”).

DO: The server gave us our appetizers.
DON’T: The waitress gave us our appetizers.

Socioeconomic Status

Refrain from using words like “poor” or “downtrodden.”

DO: Students from lower-income families have a harder time gaining admittance to Ivy League universities than higher-income families.
DON’T: Students from poor families have a harder time gaining admittance than students from wealthy families.

Ability + Disability

Avoid descriptors such as “handicapped,” “blind” or “mentally ill.” Speak simply and refer to as “disabled,” if necessary, e.g., visually disabled, or physically disabled.

DO: Jane did as well on the exam as the other students did.
DON’T: Jane did as well on the exam as the hearing students did.

Sexual Orientation

Don’t use words like “homosexual” in reference to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) and other sexual and gender minorities. It isn’t “gay marriage,” it’s just marriage.

DO: Feel free to bring your spouses, partners, significant other.
DON’T: Feel free to bring your husbands or wives.

Pronouns

There are three common pronouns (she/her/hers/herself, he/him/his/himself, they/them/theirs/themself). Use ‘they’ rather than his or her when unsure of pronouns. It’s okay to ask which gender pronouns they identify with. “Hi, I’m Terry and I use the pronouns he/him/his. What about you?”

Marital Status – Categorization of one group (“married”) over another (“single,” “divorced,” “widowed”) bears no relevance in our writing.

DO: We invited all our clients.
DON’T: We invited all our clients with families.

Religion and Culture

Avoid using religions as descriptors such as “Catholic” or “Muslim” unless relevant to what you are writing.

DO: He is a devoted member of his church.
DON’T: He is a devoted Catholic.

Age

Avoid age descriptors or any age-related references where possible.

DO: She’s the most experienced person on the team.
DON’T: She’s the mom of the team.

Political Affiliations

Stay neutral. No need to call out affiliations. (Republican or Democrat). (To be parallel in description, it would be far-right or far-left)

DO: He’s a vocal citizen.
DON’T: He’s a staunch Republican.