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<p>Organizations adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to foster fairness, belonging, and inclusion for employees from historically marginalized groups. Yet even well-intentioned policies can produce unintended reactions among targeted and nontargeted employees. Pronoun disclosure policies (PDPs) exemplify this tension: politically and socially contentious, such policies involve employees sharing personal identity information, opening the door for negative reactions. Across six studies (including three pilots, two experiments, and a qualitative field survey), we find that PDPs shape employee perceptions and attitudes. In the experiments, Optional, Mandatory, and No Formal PDPs elicit invasion of privacy, moral outrage, and turnover intentions for both targeted (LGBTQIA+) and non-targeted (non-LGBTQIA+) employees. Although Formal (Optional, Mandatory) PDPs cause invasion of privacy, such policies cause less moral outrage than not adopting a formal policy (No Formal). Optional policies cause the least invasion of privacy, moral outrage, and turnover intentions, indicating employees want to choose when and to whom to disclose pronouns. Salient identity as LGBTQIA+ or as an ally moderates responses to Formal PDPs. The field survey revealed a ‘nexus of impact,’ capturing effects across three dimensions: (1) employees’ direct experiences, (2) shared communicative spaces and social expectations, and (3) concerns for colleagues’ experiences. These effects illustrate how different PDPs create relational pressure and obligations. Combined, this research highlights that DEI initiatives requiring disclosure of personal information can backfire, generating emotional, cognitive, and relational costs across employees. For HR and DEI leaders, our results underscore the challenge of balancing inclusion objectives with respect for choice, privacy, and complex social dynamics in diverse workplaces.</p>

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Balancing Choice and Privacy: Employee Reactions to Pronoun Disclosure Policies

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月1日

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  • Lauren E. Aydinliyim,
  • Dorothea Roumpi,
  • Danielle E. Warren

摘要

Organizations adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to foster fairness, belonging, and inclusion for employees from historically marginalized groups. Yet even well-intentioned policies can produce unintended reactions among targeted and nontargeted employees. Pronoun disclosure policies (PDPs) exemplify this tension: politically and socially contentious, such policies involve employees sharing personal identity information, opening the door for negative reactions. Across six studies (including three pilots, two experiments, and a qualitative field survey), we find that PDPs shape employee perceptions and attitudes. In the experiments, Optional, Mandatory, and No Formal PDPs elicit invasion of privacy, moral outrage, and turnover intentions for both targeted (LGBTQIA+) and non-targeted (non-LGBTQIA+) employees. Although Formal (Optional, Mandatory) PDPs cause invasion of privacy, such policies cause less moral outrage than not adopting a formal policy (No Formal). Optional policies cause the least invasion of privacy, moral outrage, and turnover intentions, indicating employees want to choose when and to whom to disclose pronouns. Salient identity as LGBTQIA+ or as an ally moderates responses to Formal PDPs. The field survey revealed a ‘nexus of impact,’ capturing effects across three dimensions: (1) employees’ direct experiences, (2) shared communicative spaces and social expectations, and (3) concerns for colleagues’ experiences. These effects illustrate how different PDPs create relational pressure and obligations. Combined, this research highlights that DEI initiatives requiring disclosure of personal information can backfire, generating emotional, cognitive, and relational costs across employees. For HR and DEI leaders, our results underscore the challenge of balancing inclusion objectives with respect for choice, privacy, and complex social dynamics in diverse workplaces.