“Woke” Terminology Infects NY’s Goldman Sachs; Employees Call it the Height of Hypocrisy

Edited by: TJVNews.com

It appears that “politically correct” and “woke” terminology has now pervaded the bastion of capitalism. According to a recent report in the New York Post, rainbow-colored pamphlets advising “bring your authentic self” have lately appeared over cubicles at Goldman Sachs, coaching employees on the proper use of gender pronouns. The report indicated that this does not sit well with some bankers who consider this new inclusion hypocritical.

The pamphlet advises in addition to “she/her/hers/herself,” “he/him/his/himself” and the gender-neutral “they/them/their/themself” that another set of gender neutral pronouns is “ze/zir (zem) / zirs (zes) / zirself (zemself), “ as was reported by the Post. Examples in a column to the right: “Ze went to the store. I spoke with zir/zem. The apple was zirs/zes.”

Insiders have said that this new terminology is hard to reconcile considering the fact that Goldman Sachs has been operated by the old school patriarchy meaning “testosterone-fueled, steak-eating males” most of whom are white. Goldman’s New York City offices are located in lower Manhattan at 200 West Street.

Employees have complained that the new turn around by Goldman who is seeking to broadcast a message of diversity acceptance, tolerance and support for marginalized group appears overtly disingenuous, the Post reported.  This is because the mega bank has made consistent efforts to silence the accusations of thousands of women that they were victims of flagrant sexism while employed at the firm.

On June 5, Goldman faces trial in the US Southern District of New York brought by 1,400 plaintiffs who allege long standing discrimination including bias against women when it came to promotions and pay, the Post reported.

One source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Post,  “I think Goldman has a lot of other problems to worry about besides pronouns. Perhaps start by getting rid of … those who harass women and then maybe the women here will take their diversity and inclusivity issues seriously.”

Introduced in 2019 to Goldman employees, the pamphlet set high standards for the workplace, both inside and out.  The Post reported that the pamphlet advises, “Proactively share your pronouns to foster a sense of respect and awareness (e.g., “Hi, I’m Karen! My pronouns are she/hers. Welcome to the team!”).

“Replace gendered language with gender-inclusive language wherever possible in every day conversation (e.g., “Hi All,” v. “Hi guys.”).

The pamphlet also notes that “practice makes perfect,” advising workers to “practice using gender-neutral pronouns on your own time, the Post reported. “Feeling comfortable with these terms does not happen immediately and can require concerted effort,” it said.

The sources who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity said that Goldman’s bigger message here was directed to young employees and that is to keep your head down and work harder.

One employee told the Post that, “There is no ‘authentic self’ at Goldman Sachs. It’s your Goldman self. You will be forever judged by what you wear, how you act, how you present yourself and how you play the Goldman game.”

A Goldman spokeswoman called the claims a logical fallacy and pointed out the guides are four years old. “Goldman Sachs has a long and strong record of promoting and advancing women at all levels of the bank,” the representative told the Post.

In January, it was reported that Goldman Sachs Group said it would be announcing more layoffs.

As reported by Crain’s NY, Goldman’s Chief Executive Officer David Solomon said in January that the investment bank will be cutting jobs to help the company cope with adverse economic conditions. “We are conducting a careful review and while discussions are still ongoing, we anticipate our headcount reduction will take place in the first half of January,” Solomon said. “There are a variety of factors impacting the business landscape, including tightening monetary conditions that are slowing down economic activity. For our leadership team, the focus is on preparing the firm to weather these headwinds.”

The banking giant may cut up to 8 percent of its workforce, which would amount to up to 4,000 jobs, though it could be much lower.  The layoffs, which will likely impact each division of the bank, are part of a cost-cutting initiative in order to combat a drop in profit and revenue, people with knowledge of the matter told Crain’s. The company has not yet determined a final-cut number, rather top managers have been tasked with identifying potential cost-reduction strategies, said the sources who wished to remain anonymous.

“We need to proceed with caution and manage our resources wisely,” Solomon said in his message.  A spokesperson for the New York-based company declined to comment.