MOST of us say “hey guys” to our colleagues several times a day and give it little thought.

But today Australian of the Year David Morrison, who has long fought for gender equality, says the term should no longer be used in the workplace.

The retired Lieutenant General, who made international headlines in 2013 for his rousing speech criticising the military’s sexist culture, has partnered with the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) to launch a campaign called #WordsAtWork.

“Research has told us for years how language cuts people out or cuts them down, and yet it still happens,” he says in a DCA promotional video. “When it comes to words at work, we’ve all got to walk the talk.”

Words like “abo”, “retard”, “poofter”, “fag”, “dyke” and the term “so gay” are obviously offensive. A man who addresses a group of women with “hello ladies” or “hello girls” might raise a few eyebrows. But the DCA says “guys” is a gendered word that can make women feel left out.

“We want to get people thinking about the language they use in the workplace and whether it’s inclusive or excludes people,” Diversity Council of Australia’s CEO Lisa Annese told news.com.au.

“We’re not telling people what to say, we’re encouraging people to think about the words they use at work so everyone feels respected, valued and included. We know from research that when more inclusive language is used at work, people are greater engaged and more proactive.”

Ms Annese suggests using phrases like “Hi everyone” or “Hi team”.

“A really good test is reversing the gender. Would you walk into a mixed gender group and say  ‘Hello ladies’ or ‘Hello girls’? No, because men would be offended,” she said.

“I used to use the word guys. I have both genders in my team and I out of respect for everyone, I think it’s much better if I say ‘Hi team’ as it includes everyone. It’s a small change.”

Mr Morrison told the ABC he no longer uses the term “Hi guys” when speaking to a group of people.

“I have now removed that from my lexicon as best I can. I think it’s important,” he said.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has defended the phrase and says campaigners shouldn’t try to interfere in free speech at workplaces.

“I think we can take this kind of concern too far,” she said during a doorstop interview in Sydney today.

“There are some generic words that should not cause offence. It would depend on the circumstances but I don’t think we should try and interfere with the freedom of speech in this country to a point where people are too concerned about day-to-day conversations.”

This article was originally sourced from News online and was written by Rebecca Sullivan.