Airline tells staff to avoid 'manterrupting', 'gender-inappropriate' words

An Airbus SE A330-300 aircraft operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. lifts off at Sydney Airport. Qantas has received flak over an information packet it gave employees setting language guidelines that some critics perceive as overly politically correct. less An Airbus SE A330-300 aircraft operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. lifts off at Sydney Airport. Qantas has received flak over an information packet it gave employees setting language guidelines that some critics ... more Photo: Brendon Thorne, Bloomberg Photo: Brendon Thorne, Bloomberg Image 1 of / 36 Caption Close Airline tells staff to avoid 'manterrupting', 'gender-inappropriate' words 1 / 36 Back to Gallery

Qantas Airlines is facing turbulence after telling its 30,000 employees to avoid using words such as "husband," "wife," "mum," "dad," and even "guys."

The Australian airline, known for its cute koala mascot, recently sent an information packet for its Spirit of Inclusion Month to its staff. It contained what Qantas deemed potentially offensive terms and advised men not to "manterrupt" women and speak over them in the workplace.

The packet was leaked to the tabloid Sydney Daily Telegraph, which ran a front-page story about it headlined "Mumbo Jumbo."

"Husband" and "wife" were flagged because they "can reinforce the idea that people are always in heterosexual relationships," the packet said.

"In the same way, always referring to 'mum and dad' can make many families feel excluded — both same-sex couples and single-parent families... Words like 'love,' 'honey' or 'darling,' even when used as terms of endearment, often offend. In the workplace, it is best to avoid these sorts of words."

Referring to someone as "abrasive" or "bubbly" was discouraged because the terms are rarely used to describe men.

And speaking of men, "mankind" was bumped in favor of "humanity." "Guys" suffered the same fate. Staffers were instead advised to use "team," "folks," "people," or "you all."

Even historical references were spotlighted. Employees were told to shun the word "settlement" in describing the arrival of the British in the 1700s and instead use "invasion" or "occupation," which more accurately describes the subjugation of Aboriginal people.

The material was developed by the Diversity Council of Australia and was "intended to start an internal discussion about how language choice can impact how inclusive (or not) a workplace is," said Qantas spokeswoman Annabelle Cottee in an email. She said it did not represent a change in policies or procedures.

While diversity proponents greeted the airline's new discussion, conservative pundits and politicians assailed it.

Former prime minister Tony Abbot said the packet was "political correctness that's gone way over the top," according to the Telegraph (UK).