Amazing backlash over whether the word ‘guys’ is appropriate. There’s serious debate over whether (in current usage) it’s a gendered or gender neutral term.
Australian of the Year and former Army chief David Morrison says the term “guys” should no longer be used in workplaces. Trigger socmed outrage.
Is it a good thing that people are arguing over one particular term which was singled out as undesirable? Is any socmed buzz is good socmed buzz, or does the debate over those four letters distract from the larger message?
The Discrimination Council Australia says this is about words in the workplace. At least that’s its target. As a wider concept, it can (and should) pervade into the community at large. The majority of the words picked on by the DCA are (or should be) no brainers.
I am no authority on whether ‘guys’ is appropriate in your workplace. Nor, for that matter, is Mr Morrison.
It’s your workplace.
A simple way to resolve this dilemma:
As a workplace, decide whether ‘guys’ is appropriate.
Get everyone involved. Explain the rationale and what you’re deciding. If, as a workplace, you don’t like it, find alternative words. Make sure women don’t get talked over and make sure some guy (heh) doesn’t mansplain. And don’t let pro-guy-guys howl down everyone else.
Decide whether waitstaff are allowed to use the word “guys” when addressing a group of people.
Then document it. Put it in the policies and procedures and enforce it.
Haha – a waiter recently said ‘guys’ to me and my 90 year old mother. I said politely that she’s not a guy, and he looked non-plussed – explained that he says that to all groups ‘even big groups of ladies’. #noidea