The PC brigade are at it again, this time suggesting the word ‘guys,’ when used in a gender-neutral sense, is sexist toward women and problematic for some in the LGBTQ+ community.

Critics are arguing that it positions men as the “default” because “guy” in the singular refers to a male.

Lisa Annese, CEO of Diversity Council Australia said, some people feel excluded by the word. “The word ‘guys’ can be used to mean both men and women — but not for everybody.”

According to The ABC, the term is also “problematic for some gender-nonconforming or trans people, for whom ‘guys’ could be an instance of ‘misgendering — a consistent obstacle to LGBTQ+ people feeling included at work, Diversity Council Australia’s recent Out At Work report found.”

Professor John Hajek, from The University of Melbourne’s School of Languages and Linguistics, said it’s best to avoid using the word in the office to avoid offense.

“In a business environment, you don’t want to upset anyone [or] get a proportion of your workforce offside,” he said.

Instead of using “hey guys,” Professor Hajek has suggested adopting “hey all” or “everybody” or “people” instead. The ABC also went on to offer a list of alternatives including, “team,” “folks,” “pals,” and “peeps.”