Veitur drops gender-neutral job title after LGBTQ feedback

Veitur removed a gender-neutral form from a job title after consulting two people from the LGBTQ community, mbl.is reported. The company later considered restoring it after hearing a different view, but left the advert unchanged.

Veitur, which is owned by Orkuveitan, advertised for a communications manager at the end of September. The original title listed three Icelandic forms: “samskiptastýra,” “samskiptastjóri” and “samskiptastýri.” The last form was removed a few days later.

Veitur said it had used all three forms in previous job adverts, although such wording is not customary in the labour market. The communications team sought the opinion of a trans man after a former non-binary employee, who had left the company, was said to have opposed making job titles more complex in this way.

Both the trans man and the former employee’s view was that there was no demand for the gender-neutral form within the LGBTQ community and that “stjóri” alone was sufficient. Veitur then removed “stýri” from the advert.

After mbl.is asked about the decision, the team consulted another person, who argued that gender-neutral language had become established in job adverts. Veitur considered revising the advert a second time, but did not do so. The application deadline passed on Tuesday.