UMass Boston

Inclusive Identity

As part of its efforts to create an inclusive campus community and better align programs and services to meet the needs of our diverse employee population, UMass Boston gives employees the option to indicate their Sex, Gender Identity and Pronoun in HR Direct. Employees can select the appropriate value from a drop-down list on the screen under the "Personal Details" section of the system and is available through Employee Self-Service.

This functionality is part of a larger UMass system-wide upgrade referred to as the "Inclusive Identity Project." Through the Inclusive Identity Project, employees can now choose to securely enter their sex, gender identity, and pronoun in the HR Direct employee system.

Confidential Data Disclaimer

This data is considered CONFIDENTIAL and is secured in HR Direct. Only select staff will have access to information to assist employees should they have questions or require assistance entering data in HR Direct. Responses to these values will NOT be viewable by general university departments or staff. Aggregate data (percentages and category totals) will only be provided to assist the University in designing, delivering, and promoting customized programs, services, and resources that support ALL employees according to their individual needs and interests.

  • Preferred/Chosen Name: Preferred/Chosen Name is in the next phase of the Inclusive Identity project and is undergoing preliminary planning and analysis. If you would like to update your preferred/chosen name, please email a request to add/update your preferred/chosen name to HR@umb.edu.
  • Sex: Sex indicates a person's biological description assigned at birth (legal sex)

What sex values are in HR Direct?

  • Female: Individuals whose legal sex is female.
  • Male: Individuals whose legal sex is male.
  • Unknown: Individuals whose legal sex is unknown.
  • X: Individuals whose legal sex is X or nonbinary.

How can I update my sex (biological description) value in HR Direct?

Update your sex value in HR Direct using the Sex - Gender Identity - Pronoun job aid.

Will changing my sex in HR Direct have any impact to my benefits through GIC?

If you are a GIC eligible employee, GIC requires a binary sex and will contact you directly to obtain that if you indicate in HR Direct that your sex is not Male or Female.

Pronouns

Pronouns indicate how a person wants to be referred to.

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or a noun phrase to refer to individuals.

  • Pronouns can be in the first person singular (I, me) or plural (we, us); second person singular or plural (you); and the third person singular (e.g., she/ her, he/him, they/them, ze/hir) or plural (they/them).
  • Gendered pronouns reference someone's gender: he/him/his or she/her/hers. Non-gendered or non-binary pronouns are not gender specific and are often used by people who identify outside of a gender binary.

The most common set of non-binary pronouns is they/them/their used to refer to a single person (e.g., Jadzia identifies as genderqueer; they do not see themselves as either female or male). Other non-binary pronouns include ze (pronounced "zee") in place of she/ he, and hir (pronounced "here") or zir (pronounced "zer") in place of his/him/her (e.g., Jadzia runs hir own business, but ze is more well-known as an author).

Why are pronouns important?

As a society, we commonly assume the gender of others by their appearance and indicate these assumptions by using gendered language, such as she/he, ma'am/sir, Ms./Mr., and ladies/gentlemen. This practice results in many individuals, especially trans and gender-nonconforming individuals, being misgendered, which makes them feel marginalized and invisible.

As an institution committed to the inclusion of historically underrepresented groups and ensuring a respectful, safe, and inclusive campus for all members of the community, UMass Boston is working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to indicate their pronouns and have their pronouns respected.

What is the best way to ask someone which pronouns they use?

It is always better to be direct! You can ask, "What pronouns do you use for yourself" or "What pronouns should I be using for you?" It is essential to ask for pronouns because you cannot assume how someone identifies their gender based on appearance. Using the wrong pronouns for someone may lead them to feel disrespected, invalidated, and marginalized.

What pronouns can I select in HR Direct?

He/any, He/him, He/she, He/they, He/xe, He/ze, Name only, She/any, She/her, She/they, She/xe , She/ze, They/any, They/them, They/xe, They/ze, Xe/any, Xe/xem, Xe/ze, Ze/any , Ze/zir, Any pronoun, or Choose not to disclose.

How can I update my pronouns in HR Direct?

Update your pronouns in HR Direct using the Sex - Gender Identity - Pronoun job aid.

What if I mistakenly use the wrong pronouns for someone?

The best thing to do if you realize you just used the wrong pronoun for someone in a conversation with them is to say something right away, such as "Sorry, I meant they."

Fix it, but do not call special attention to the error. If you realize your mistake after the fact, apologize to the person at your next opportunity.

Where will pronouns appear?

HR Direct. If you are a student, please follow the Wiser link below to change your pronoun within Wiser.

Gender Identity

Gender identity refers to an individual’s internal and central sense of gender. Gender expression is the external way of defining self and is separate from sexual orientation and sex assigned at birth.

What gender identity values are in HR Direct?

  • Agender: An individual who identifies as not having a gender. Agender people may identify as neutrois, genderless, or gender-neutral, having an unknown or indefinable gender, or deciding not to label their gender.
  • Cisgender (non-trans) man: An individual who identifies as a man and was assigned male at birth.
  • Cisgender (non-trans) woman: An individual who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at birth.
  • Demigender: An individual who feels a partial connection to a particular gender identity. Examples of demigender identities include demigirl, demiboy, and demiandrogyne.
  • Genderfluid: An individual whose gender varies over time. A genderfluid person may at any time identify as male, female, genderless, or any nonbinary gender identity, or as some combination of gender identities.
  • Genderqueer: An umbrella term and a specific identity for an individual who identifies as neither male nor female (but as another gender), as somewhere in between or beyond genders, or as a combination of genders.
  • Nonbinary: An umbrella term and a specific identity for an individual who does not fit into traditional "male" and "female" gender categories. Nonbinary people include individuals who identify as bigender, genderfluid, genderqueer, pangender, and many additional genders.
  • Questioning: An individual who is uncertain about how they identify their gender.
  • Trans man: An individual who identifies as a man but was assigned female at birth.
  • Trans woman: An individual who identifies as a woman but was assigned male at birth.

How can I update my gender identity value in HR Direct?

Update your gender identity value in HR Direct using the Sex - Gender Identity - Pronoun job aid.

Contact Payroll

Payroll and Time Reporting Services oversees all university payroll and time reporting activities.

For general inquiries please contact us at payroll@umb.edu.