Bias-Free Writing

Why does the topic of bias-free writing follow a page about hidden meaning? Business writers work to be clear and direct in meaning, and drawing attention to details about race, age, country of origin, disability, and gender in the workplace might cause conscious or unconscious bias.

Let’s look at some examples and ways to fix them. A simple rule for bias-free writing is to consider whether personal details need to be included to get the point across.

Avoid	Try This Instead	Why
Franklin is the new African-American accountant.	Franklin is the new accountant.	The revised statement focuses on the relevant fact – Franklin’s new role – without reference to race, which is irrelevant to his position and qualifications.
For someone nearing retirement, Agustina caught on to that new software quickly.	Agustina caught on to that new software quickly.	The revised statement removes age-related assumptions, emphasizing the person’s ability without age bias, promoting an inclusive workplace where performance is not linked to age.
Jay has some of the highest call center ratings, even though his Brazilian accent is strong.	Jay has some of the highest call center ratings.	The revised statement focuses solely on Jay’s performance, which is the relevant factor in a work context, rather than his accent or national origin, avoiding any implication that his accent should affect our perception of the quality of his work.
Rita is one of our most outgoing employees, even though he must use a wheelchair.	Rita is one of our most outgoing employees.	The revised statement commends Rita’s contributions without referring to her use of a wheelchair, which is unrelated to her performance and avoids defining him by his disability.
This job is very technical; it’s not suitable for everyone.	This job requires specific technical skills that will be listed in the job description.	This alternative eliminates the implication that certain groups may lack technical skills and instead focuses on the job’s specific skill requirements.
Do we have enough manpower to finish this project?	Do we have enough staff to finish this project?	The term “staff” is more inclusive, avoiding the gendered term “manpower,” which can reinforce gender biases and exclude non-male workers.

Avoiding Gender Bias

Writing in a non-sexist way requires the ability to recognize sexism in the first place. The next hurdle is to figure out a way to eliminate any inherent sexism without disrupting the flow of the piece. Here are a few techniques to help avoid bias.

Gendered Nouns

The first way to avoid gender bias in your writing is to use gender-neutral words when referring to individuals in various positions:

Avoid	Try This Instead
businessman, businesswoman	business executive
chairman, chairwoman	chairperson
the common man	the average person
salesman, saleswoman	salesperson, sales clerk, marketer

Gendered Pronouns

The next thing to be aware of is your use of gendered pronouns. While some still use “he” as a generic pronoun, this shows a strong bias towards male individuals. Using “he or she” (“his or her,” etc) as the pronoun for a generic noun is more inclusive but does not acknowledge those with non-binary gender identities. Instead, use “they” and “their” to be most inclusive.

Avoid	Try This Instead
Every employee should file his report by the end of the day.	Every employee should file their report by the end of the day.

Sometimes the best solution is to rephrase the sentence to have a plural subject instead of a singular subject.

Avoid	Try This Instead
When filing the report, each employee should make sure he or she includes his or her data.	When filing the report, employees should make sure they include their data.
Any author knows that his first draft of a piece won’t be good.	All authors know that their first drafts won’t be good.

Singular They

While they is typically treated as a plural pronoun, when an individual has expressed a desire to be identified with gender-neutral pronouns (they/their/theirs), it is grammatically correct to use they as a singular pronoun (per the Chicago Manual of Style, one of the predominant authorities on grammar and style).^[1]

There are occasions, however, where you can’t simply make the sentence plural. For example, let’s look at this sentence: “Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. He or she will call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning.” Only one person will be making the call, so making this sentence plural could be confusing. In this situation, the solution may be to completely omit the pronoun: “Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. You can expect the call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning.”

Avoiding Race and Ethnicity Bias

When speaking about race or ethnicity, deciding which term to use can be a tricky subject because the ascribed meaning to particular terms and labels can frequently change. When choosing between terms to refer to a group, it is best to ask a member of that group what they prefer.

As a general rule in a business setting, do not mention a person’s race or ethnicity unless it is directly relevant to the situation.

Avoiding Disability Bias

As a general rule, avoid using labeled nouns when talking about people with disabilities. Try to use emotionally neutral expressions rather than ones that assign a role.

Avoid	Try This Instead
the disabled	people with varied abilities
a victim of mental illness	a person living with a mental health condition
a person suffering from cancer	a person diagnosed with cancer

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