6.10 Bias Free Language
Communicators should try to be clear and direct in meaning, and drawing attention to details about race, age, country of origin, disability, gender, or politics in the workplace might cause conscious or unconscious bias. When crafting your communication, think about who will be affected by what you say and how you say it.
A simple rule for using bias-free language is to consider whether personal details need to be included to get the point across. We discuss ways to avoid using personal details as well as gender and disability bias in this section. See Table 6.3 for alternative ways to express oneself without using unnecessary personal details.
| Avoid | Try |
|---|---|
| Franklin is the new African American accountant. | Franklin is the new accountant. |
| For someone nearing retirement, she learned new software quickly. | She learned that new software quickly. |
| Abdul has some of the highest call center ratings, even though his Saudi accent is strong. | Abdul has some of the highest call center ratings. |
| John is one of our most active employees, even though he must use a wheelchair. | John is one of our most active employees. |
| Did the cleaning woman bring new trash bags? | Did the cleaner bring new trash bags? |
| Do we have enough manpower to finish this project? | Do we have enough staff to finish this project? |
This section is adapted from “Eliminating Bias in Language” in Communication for Professionals by Susan Oaks, licensed under CC BY-NC: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International, except where otherwise noted.
