By Larissa Brown For The Daily Mail
Army chiefs have told troops they must no longer answer the phone saying ‘How can I help you Sir’ – as they cannot be sure of the gender of the person on the line.
Colonel Steve Davies said the greeting was ‘outdated’ and ‘unnecessary’ after a soldier raised concerns they could be offending comrades by assuming they were male.
He said soldiers should instead say their rank and name followed by ‘how can I help you?’
A soldier had complained in a letter to a military magazine that despite the Army ‘correctly’ placing importance on inclusion and gender-related issues, troops were still answering the phone with ‘Sir’.
The soldier also claimed troops feared ‘risking offence’ by greeting an officer with the word ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’ when the officer could be gender neutral.
It comes just days after it emerged that military top brass were also ordering troops to use gender-neutral words at a top training base. Phrases such as ‘mankind’ and ‘sportsmanship’ were banned amid fears they upset women and trans groups.
In the latest letter, published in Soldier magazine, the unidentified soldier wrote: ‘Isn’t it about time the Army considered abolishing these Victorian-style greetings? I believe a new system should be looked at which is more up to date and lessens the risk of embarrassment or offence to us all.’
The soldier noted that the MoD had ‘correctly’ placed importance on ‘diversity, inclusion and gender-related issues’ and said it was vital to ‘bring everyone’s attention to the way we greet and speak to each other’. The soldier added: ‘For example when the telephone rings I must answer with the name of my department, my name, followed by “how can I help you Sir?”
But he conceded that the convention of answering the telephone using ‘Sir’ was indeed old-fashioned.
He replied to the soldier: ‘The use of gendered terms when greeting officers as you walk around barracks reflects a convention that is used in many important sectors of British society, including the monarchy, judiciary and parliament.
‘I would disagree that the British Army is somehow out of step with the community in this regard.’ And Colonel Davies said that using the term ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’ was ‘both appropriate and polite’.
He added: ‘However I agree that the convention of answering the telephone using “sir” without knowing who one is speaking to is now considered outdated and arguably unnecessary. The opening gambit of saying your rank and name followed by “how can I help you?” is both respectful and applicable to all callers and should be adopted.’
Ban megtilt
Troop katonai csapat
Gender biológiai nem
Raise concerns aggodaémát fejezte ki
Offend megbánt
Comrade
Assume feltételez
Instead ehelyett
Inclusion itt:integráció
Despite ellenére
Top brass nagyfőnök
Amid fears kételyek miatt, közepette
Lessen csökkent
Embarrassment kínos helyzet