Every time you send an email (which, let’s be real, can be dozens a day), people are getting a glimpse into who you are as a person and a professional. Your email signature is an opportunity to quietly share what you and your company stand for. A thoughtful, inclusive email signature tells recipients that your company values respect, accessibility, and representation. Plus, it can even help attract talent from diverse backgrounds by signaling those values upfront.
Despite the benefits, using an email signature to show off company values is constantly overlooked. With more companies prioritizing inclusion, email signatures are an easy way to align internal culture with external messaging.
In this blog, we’ll walk through how to build an email signature that reflects your values while staying compliant with company and industry regulations.
An inclusive email signature gives people a sense of your identity. It creates a welcoming tone for recipients and helps people avoid making assumptions about your gender, culture, or background.
An inclusive email signature should also meet WCAG accessibility requirements for fonts and contrast-friendly colors in your email signature. This shows that your organization is thoughtful and accommodating in every decision you make. Plus, it makes it more readable for people with visual impairments or screen readers.
In some organizations, inclusive email signatures might also include cultural symbols, gender pronouns, or acknowledgments of company DEI programs. These subtle cues show clients and colleagues that inclusion is a genuine company value.
Why Inclusive Email Signatures Matter
Your email signature shows more than your name and job title. It acts as a clear signal of how your organization communicates, what it prioritizes, and how it treats people. When done well, an inclusive email signature helps build stronger connections across teams, clients, and partners without disrupting the daily flow of business.
They Set the Tone for Respectful Communication
Signatures are subtle, but they shape first impressions. When someone sees a line about accessibility, gender pronouns, or a DEI program, it tells them you’re inclusive through action, not talking points.
Inclusivity also helps people avoid misunderstandings and promotes clarity, especially in remote or global workplaces where tone and identity can be hard to read. These small touches help male, female, and non-binary team members feel seen without calling anyone out.
They Reflect the Importance of Company Values
Inclusion is an ongoing process. When you bring that mindset into everyday tools like email signatures, it imprints your values into your company culture.
We’ve seen organizations use this space to share a link to internal equity initiatives, highlight cultural moments, or add a line about their DEI council. Even a small company-wide update can become a rallying point, increasing team morale and showing leadership follow-through.
When done consistently, it builds alignment from new hires to leadership. Plus, no one feels like inclusion is being forced or filtered.
They Drive Retention, Loyalty, and Growth
When it comes down to it, inclusive practices are good for business. It affects how people see your brand and how long they stay connected to it. A study from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke found that employees are 5.4x more likely to want long-term careers at companies that prioritize diversity.
It’s also great for customer relationships and driving revenue. According to the Harris Poll, 82% of consumers are willing to pay more if a brand shares their same moral values. It can also help you attract clients and partners who care about thoughtful, values-driven communication.
While inclusive email signatures aren’t the whole strategy, they’re a visible and daily reminder of what your organization stands for. That difference shows people your business has understanding, respect, and a shared commitment to meaningful connection.
Easy Ways to Make Your Email Signature More Inclusive
A few thoughtful updates can transform a regular old email signature into an important messenger of your organization’s values. Here are some common elements of an inclusive email signature.
Add Gender Pronouns
Including gender pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them) normalizes gender identity sharing. Sharing your pronouns tells colleagues, clients, and customers that you value gender diversity. Plus, it creates a safer space for non-binary and transitioning team members. If trans co-workers are the only people with pronouns in their emails, it may inadvertently out them.
When a cisgender person (i.e., someone whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth) normalizes sharing pronouns, it removes assumptions.
Adding pronouns to an email signature encourages a more aware and inclusive workplace.
Reflect Cultural Identity Thoughtfully
Email signatures can show off someone’s cultural identity through visuals. Small touches, like a pronunciation guide, native-language name spelling, or a flag emoji, help recipients connect on a more personal level. These simple additions show cultural awareness without overwhelming the layout.
Prioritize Accessibility in Formatting
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15-20% of people around the world are disabled, which means that a fifth of your email recipients have some sort of disability.
Using high-contrast colors and web-safe fonts to support visibility means your email signatures are being seen by more people, which means more engagement, clicks, and conversions. Also, be sure to structure your signature in a simple, top-to-bottom format, and include alt text for logos or icons so screen readers can interpret them clearly. These small adjustments help ensure your signature works for everyone, regardless of how they access their inbox.
Interested in learning more about formatting? Read these:
- Email Signature Size and Layout Tips
- How to design your email signature in 2025
- How to Find the Best Colors for Your Email Signature
Feature Inclusive Symbols and Initiatives
Adding an ally badge, Pride flag, or mention of your company’s DEI initiatives is another way to promote inclusion without overt messaging. Just a simple line about an internal program or accessibility award can say a lot about your organization’s culture.
You can also easily add banners with DEI messaging in a subtle, professional way.
Examples of Inclusive Email Signatures
Here are some simple examples of how you can add inclusivity to your email signature without getting too complicated:
Taylor Chen 微信 (he/him)
Head of Global Marketing | DEI Council Member
ACME Co. | Committed to inclusion, accessibility & equity for all
Jordan Alvarez | she/her
Product Designer | Feminist & Accessibility Advocate
ACME Co. | Diseñando con inclusión en mente
jordan.alvarez@acme.com
Kourosh Farzad کوروش فرزاد
he/him
ACME Co. | Customer Success Manager
Celebrating the Persian New Year. Happy Nowruz!
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kfarzad
Morgan Rivera (they/them)
People Ops Coordinator
Advocating for workplace equity and gender respect
[EXAMPLE OF AN EDUCATIONAL HYPERLINK] Why I Include My Pronouns
Where Inclusive Email Signatures Can Go Wrong Legally
Here’s the thing: being inclusive is impactful, but you still need to keep your emails compliant. Here’s where inclusive email signatures can become a problem, and how to keep yours protected.
Requiring Pronouns Can Lead to Trouble
Adding pronouns is a powerful show of support, but making them mandatory can cross into murky legal waters. Under regulations like the GDPR, gender pronouns and identity fall under sensitive personal data. Forcing employees to disclose this, even with good intentions, may be considered unlawful data collection.
If a cisgender person feels fine sharing pronouns, that doesn’t mean others will. For members of the non-binary community or anyone navigating their identity, forced disclosure can feel more like pressure than progress.
Mandating pronouns for inclusive email signatures has led to heated debates about freedom of speech and claimed religious freedom rights. Be sure to involve legal and HR before rolling out any initiatives. A strong HR template avoids major issues down the line.
Simple step: Make sharing pronouns optional. Normalize them through leadership examples rather than policy requirements.
Want to learn more about email security? Check out our guides on secure email automation and email signature software privacy.
Symbols and Statements Can Create Legal Ambiguity
Adding cultural symbols or activist badges can reflect company values, but they can also be misread. In regulated industries or international markets, a flag emoji or slogan might be viewed as a political stance rather than a personal expression.
There’s also a risk when inclusive statements become seen as unofficial corporate policy. If one team member writes “ACME Co. supports trans rights,” and another includes “Proud ally of the non-binary community,” how does that align with what your organization has formally approved?
These issues have also become more politicized in recent years. For example, U.S. executive orders have challenged how organizations implement DEI initiatives, raising concerns around free speech and religious rights when it comes to pronoun usage in corporate settings.
That makes it even more important to approach inclusive email signatures with policy alignment and legal backing.
Simple step: Offer company-approved signature templates that reflect your DEI tone and protect your employees from having to navigate that line alone.
Design Choices Can Break Accessibility Rules
Inclusion without accessibility misses the point. If your signature uses light gray text on a white background or non-standard fonts, it may not meet ADA or WCAG guidelines. That creates a barrier for people using screen readers or with low vision.
Best practice: Use contrast-friendly colors, a minimum 14px font size, and personal information laid out in a single-column format for better workplace visibility.
Want to learn how to find the right color? Read How to Find the Best Colors for Your Email Signature.
This small update supports inclusion, improves engagement, and opens up your message to more recipients.
Get the Benefits of Inclusive Signatures without the Risks
A compliant email signature reflects how your organization communicates, supports equity, and respects individual identity. When inclusion and accessibility are built into everyday tools like email signatures, it becomes part of how your company shows up, for employees and customers alike.
Before rolling out changes, it’s smart to consult HR and legal teams to make sure your updates align with company policy and compliance standards.
These updates don’t need to be complex or disruptive. They represent a long-term investment in clarity, respect, and authentic connection.
Need guidance creating an inclusive email signature without compliance headaches? Book a call with one of our experts, and learn how to create scalable, thoughtful signatures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inclusive Email Signature
What is the ADA email format?
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) email format refers to designing emails that are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes using readable font sizes, strong color contrast, alt text for images, and clear, structured layouts that work with screen readers.
Here are a few accessibility best practices you can use for your emails:
- Use a minimum font size of 14px for body text
- Keep a high contrast between text and background colors
- Add descriptive alt text to all images and icons
- Use semantic HTML structure, like headings, lists, and tables
- Avoid text in images whenever possible
- Give clickable elements clear labels and sufficient spacing
- Use plain, readable fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma
- Avoid flashing or blinking content that may trigger seizures
These steps keep your emails inclusive and make them easier to navigate for all recipients.
What is the LGBTQ inclusive email signature?
An LGBTQ-inclusive email signature usually includes pronouns (e.g., he/him, she/ her, they/them) and avoids gendered job titles. It may also include support statements or diversity badges to signal inclusivity and respect.
When adding extra badges or statements, make sure they’re appropriate to your organization’s tone and meet compliance standards.
How to make an email gender neutral?
Use inclusive language by avoiding gendered phrases like “Dear Sir/Madam” or titles like “Chairman.” You can also include pronouns in your signature to normalize the practice and help others address you correctly.