FOI 25-568 SAS Staff use of Pronouns
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-568 SAS Staff use of Pronouns
- Request Date
- 08 Dec 2025
- Response Date
- 15 Dec 2025
- Information Requested
I’m writing to request information about your organisation’s position and practice regarding the use of pronouns by
staff.
1. Staff use of pronouns
o How many staff currently include pronouns in their official work email signatures?
o If exact numbers aren’t held, please provide any monitoring, estimates, or internal data you have.
2. Organisational position
o Is the inclusion of pronouns in email signatures mandated, encouraged, or left entirely optional within
your organisation?
o Please provide any policies, internal guidance, or communications that set out your approach.
3. References to external resources
o How many staff include a link to pronouns.org (or similar websites) in their email signatures or internal
profiles?
o Does your organisation promote, endorse, or direct staff toward pronouns.org or similar guidance?
Does your organisation endorse the content of pronouns.org?
o Please share any documents, training materials, or communications that reference or recommend this
website.
4. Internal communications and staff responses
o Please provide copies of any communications or briefings sent to staff regarding the use of pronouns
in email signatures.
o Has your organisation received any objections, complaints, or concerns from staff in relation to
pronoun guidance or expectations?
o If so, please provide the number of cases and any summaries you hold, including whether any issues
were raised by staff with gender-critical beliefs or staff citing religious beliefs.
5. Impact considerations
o Have any Equality Impact Assessments or similar assessments been carried out regarding your
organisation’s approach to pronoun use?
o If so, please provide copies or summaries of these assessments.- Response
- Staff use of pronouns
- How many staff currently include pronouns in their official work email signatures?
- If exact numbers aren’t held, please provide any monitoring, estimates, or internal data you have.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not monitor SAS staff use of pronouns in their emails and therefore do not hold any figures on how many staff include pronouns in the work emails; this is left to staff to include if they wish.
- Organisational position
Is the inclusion of pronouns in email signatures mandated, encouraged, or left entirely optional within your organisation?
It is not mandated in SAS, but the Service are supportive of their use.
Please provide any policies, internal guidance, or communications that set out your approach.
The approach to the use of Pronouns is set by the NHS Scotland M365 Information Governance & Security Group (IGSG) – Please see attached circular from July 2023 from the M365 IGSG and the Scottish Ambulance Service email signature guidance issued to staff.
- References to external resources
How many staff include a link to pronouns.org (or similar websites) in their email signatures or internal profiles?
Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), public authorities are required to provide access to recorded information that they hold at the time of the request. However, FOISA does not oblige authorities to create new information in order to respond to a request. This means that if the requested information does not exist in a recorded form, the authority is not required to generate, compile, or otherwise create it.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold a dataset on the number of staff that include a link to pronouns.org in their email signatures.
Does your organisation promote, endorse, or direct staff toward pronouns.org or similar guidance? Does your organisation endorse the content of pronouns.org?
No. SAS share relevant communications and guidance, and staff are permitted to adopt the use of pronouns should they wish to do so.
Please share any documents, training materials, or communications that reference or recommend this website.
We have not held any documents or materials, or communications that refers to this website.
- Internal communications and staff responses
Please provide copies of any communications or briefings sent to staff regarding the use of pronouns in email signatures.
Please see attached NHS Scotland Guidance which is referenced in Question 2s Response; Also see attached SAS Email Signature Guidelinesv4 Document
Has your organisation received any objections, complaints, or concerns from staff in relation to pronoun guidance or expectations?
The Scottish Ambulance Service have not received objections, complaints or concerns from staff in relation to pronoun guidance or expectations.
If so, please provide the number of cases and any summaries you hold, including whether any issues were raised by staff with gender-critical beliefs or staff citing religious beliefs.
This question is not applicable.
- Impact considerations
Have any Equality Impact Assessments or similar assessments been carried out regarding your organisation’s approach to pronoun use?
There have been no Equality Impact Assessments regarding the use of Pronouns.
- Staff use of pronouns
- Response Documents
