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“Trans employee experiences survey: Understanding the trans community in the workplace” (2021) – research conducted by Totaljobs

What challenges are faced at work by members of the trans community? Totaljobs surveyed over 400 trans employees on their experiences in the workplace, covering a range of topics from discrimination to HR support.

The findings offer an opportunity to share important advice on workplace best practice from Sparkle - The National Transgender Charity, and insights from writers, filmmakers and non-binary trans activists Fox Fisher and Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir.

Illustration by Fox Fisher.

Facing discriminatory treatment by colleagues and suffering a lack of understanding of their identities by colleagues, trans workers are not able to bring their whole selves to their jobs. There’s work to be done to build truly inclusive and welcoming workplaces.

To understand the challenges and opportunities for the trans workforce to belong in the workplace, Totaljobs and Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity, are comparing today their 2021 Trans employee experiences survey findings with the results of the original 2016 survey, to highlight how workplace experiences have changed for trans people in the past five years.

Being out at work when you’re trans

When someone decides to reveal their gender identity at work, it’s a profoundly personal decision – and one that can have a lasting impact on the individual’s entire career.

a trans worker hiding under their desk as a video call appears on their laptop screen

Many from the LGBTQ+ community simply don’t want to be out at work, and it’s not getting better for trans people.

In 2016, around half (52%) of trans people didn’t reveal their gender identity at work – in 2021, the number is closer to two-thirds (65%).

Finding a job and progressing when you’re trans

People’s main concerns are around finding a job and how being out might affect their career progression:

  • 56% of trans people believe it’s harder for them to find a job
  • 53% think they experience more barriers to progress to senior positions than non-trans people
  • 33% have experienced discrimination in job interviews and applications

What trans people look for when considering a new role

  • 53% are interested in learning and development
  • 51% think company culture is important
  • 46% look for company reviews
  • 33% want to know if a company has trans-specific policies in place

It’s the combination of clear policies, culture and opportunities that matters – together, they have a large impact on trans people deciding whether or not they will apply for, and accept, a new role.

Sparkle’s advice for employers

Attraction and recruitment

1. Don’t assume

Not all trans colleagues or candidates are out at work, and no two trans people will have an identical journey or transition. So treat everyone uniquely, and without bias.

2. Communicate your values

Publish a positive statement on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) internally and on your website. Show people what you stand for.

3. Be representative

Make sure your recruitment material is trans-friendly and includes images of trans people.

4. De-gender the language

Pay special attention to the language in job adverts, job descriptions, employment contracts and application forms. For example, swap ‘he’ and ‘she’ for neutral pronouns, and use ungendered job titles.

5. Monitor gender identity

Introduce equality monitoring forms in your recruitment process and ask about gender identity. This will help you understand how diverse your workforce is and encourage more diversity in your company.

Tell people that it’s up to them if they want to share the information and why you ask about this. Make it clear that you will treat all the information sensitively and confidentially – and that it will not be shared with anyone.

6. Name a single point of contact for candidates

Someone who is trained and sensitive to the barriers trans and gender diverse people face through the application process, and in work.

7. Bring in an expert

Not all companies have a human resources department, or know how to implement the right policies and processes to build a trans-friendly experience for workers. If that’s the case for you, consider hiring a consultant.

Workplace discrimination

In 2016, 38% of trans workers said they’d experienced discrimination from their colleagues – in 2021, that’s down to 25%. So, there have been some improvements over the last five years.

And trans people experiencing discrimination from managers has dropped from 25% to 17% in the same period.

However, a third (32%) of trans people said they’ve experienced discrimination or abuse at work in the last five years.

The forms of discrimination and abuse experienced by trans workers

  • 32% have been bullied or insulted
  • 30% have had colleagues deliberately use the wrong pronouns
  • 27% have been deadnamed
  • 24% have been socially excluded by colleagues
  • 17% have been excluded from work projects
  • 12% have been told to use a separate toilet to the gender they now identify with
  • 6% have been physically abused or threatened

workers gossiping and outing a trans colleagueWhat’s more, 40% of trans workers say one of their biggest workplace concerns is colleagues expressing anti-trans opinions.

Once people know you’re trans, regardless of how well intentioned they are, they treat you differently. Colleagues may ask inappropriate or offensive questions, which trans people would rather avoid.

I’ve faced issues with co-workers unwilling to accept who I was. My employer was always very supportive of me, and spoke with me first about how best to proceed. This resulted in the entire workplace receiving trans training and a comprehensive equality policy being made to include LGBTQIA+ issues.

The colleague involved was able to learn about trans people and reflect on those views expressed, and apologised for their behaviour. My employer was always adamant that if this continued to be a problem, I would not have to worry about my place within the company. The co-worker would instead be cautioned and even fired if they continued being disrespectful towards me.

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir [they]Feminist, author and trans campaigner

Trans people are often treated unfairly. This is the reason many trans people hide their identity, including when they apply for jobs.

I was teaching art classes during the start of my transition. I felt a whole lot of awkwardness as I never told anyone in my class I was transgender, and people generally automatically used ‘he’ pronouns, which was great. Sometimes, my employer would also be present during classes.

Out of habit she often used ‘she’ pronouns when referring to me, outing me to everyone there ­– which felt really awful. This happened quite a few times, simply because my employer had known me for a long time and couldn’t get out of the habit of calling me ‘she’. It eventually stopped, but my employer never addressed this properly.

Fox Fisher [he/they]Artist, author, film-maker and LGBTQIA+ educator

The impact of the pandemic on trans workers

With many people working from home, has the virtual workplace made a difference to trans employees?

The shift to remote working for employees has had an impact on people’s ability to feel safe and control their environment. The immediate consequence for trans employees is noticeable with 20% reporting a reduction in the workplace microaggressions they experience.

trans worker working from home, with their cat and laptop

More than 31% of trans workers said they feel more confident doing their job from home. However, this improvement poses serious questions about the return to the workplace, and how it will affect the safety and mental health of trans people, especially as only 8% of trans workers believe their colleagues have been supportive during the pandemic.

Sparkle’s advice for employers

Training, education and engagement

1. Train your staff

Offer courses and mandate training on gender diversity and the importance of an inclusive workforce for all employees.

2. Don’t expect trans colleagues to educate others

It’s down to you, and your HR team if you have one, to organise training. You are both responsible and accountable for this.

3. Start (but don’t stop) with managers and leaders of the business

Use a top-down, bottom-up approach. Senior management buy-in and training will have to filter down the organisation. Make sure you train people in public-facing roles, so guests, visitors and clients are also welcome and treated with respect, regardless of their gender identity.

4. Get people involved

Cisgender colleagues may want to learn about the lived experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people. They may also want to help raise awareness of important days in the trans calendar, like Trans Day of Visibility in March, or the annual Trans Day of Remembrance in November.

Offer all staff opportunities to be vocal and celebrate those occasions – this could be through setting up an Employee Resource Group or welcoming guest speakers.

5. Start a conversation

Cisgender people may want to do the right thing, but don’t want to risk offending a trans colleague. Consider inviting a trans organisation (such as Sparkle) to deliver a talk.

It’s best if there is no pressure to attend – the talk will give colleagues the chance to ask questions and learn without worrying about saying or doing something wrong.

Inclusion in the workplace

Everyone should be able to be their whole self at work – 43% of trans workers said they believe acceptance and understanding in the workplace has improved in the last five years.

Even more promising, when they shared their history with co-workers, the number of trans employees who report negative responses from has halved since 2016 – down from 10% to 5%.

However, in 2021, just over half of all trans employees (56%) said they feel comfortable sharing their trans status with colleagues. This number varies depending on who trans people are talking to.

Who trans workers are comfortable sharing their status with

  • 51% feel comfortable sharing with direct teammates
  • 37% feel comfortable sharing with people outside their team
  • 25% feel comfortable sharing with their HR department

Why wouldn’t everyone feel safe sharing their identity at work? A large portion (40%) of trans workers fear that co-workers harbour anti-trans opinions, and 7% fear they might be outed by colleagues.

A lot of companies still have a long way to go, as does society in general. Workplaces need to make sure inclusion and diversity aren’t just tick-boxing exercises, but an investment in attitude. This means creating a workplace where trans people are confident enough to be themselves, and will be supported if there is an issue.

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir [they]Feminist, author and trans campaigner

When choosing to share their trans status at work, 51% said they’d received a positive response from colleagues – barely up from 50% in 2016.

So what can employers do to continue the progress that’s been made, and how can they accelerate the change? For trans workers, there are solutions and commitments employers need to make.

trans awareness training session for co-workers

Key areas employers need to improve to make workplaces more inclusive

  1. Employee awareness of trans issues ­(83%)
  2. Unbiased interview process (66%)
  3. Employer commitment to hire diverse candidates ­(59%)
  4. Training for staff when colleagues are transitioning ­(57%)
  5. Interview training for recruiters ­(55%)

Employees need regular diversity training, backed up by clear and comprehensive policies – together, these help trans people feel safe and supported at work.

This needs to be done even if you don’t knowingly have a trans person in your workforce, to make sure potential future employees (and current employees who aren’t out) are confident to become a part of your workplace, and see diversity and inclusion are important to you.

Fox Fisher [he/they]Artist, author, film-maker and LGBTQIA+ educator

Reporting transphobic behaviour

In the fight against discrimination, it’s vital to give staff the support and appropriate tools to report incidents with confidence in the organisation to do the right thing and deal with cases appropriately.

However, 36% of trans people surveyed said they didn’t know how to report anti-trans behaviour in their work. And 35% said they wouldn’t report anti-trans behaviour when it happens.

The issue goes deeper: 54% said there is no training provided for staff on how to support trans employees.

Supporting trans workers

When asked, 50% of people that socially transitioned at work said they received a good level of support from their workplace – but nearly one-in-five (19%) said they received no support of any kind from HR.

For those that medically transitioned, 37% said they received good support from the same groups although, 18% didn’t receive any support.

The 2021 trans employee experience survey shows that large numbers of trans employees do not feel comfortable being themselves at work.

In fact, 43% of trans employees specifically said they’ve left a job because the environment was unwelcoming ­– up from 36% in 2016.

Sparkle’s advice for employers

Supporting people through their transition

Transitioning, be it social or medical, is recommended for treating gender dysphoria.

1. Paid and sick leave

Paid leave for transitioning usually only includes appointments with gender identity clinics and doctors, and not other procedures which may be important to a trans person’s wellbeing. These procedures can be lifesaving, and have a positive impact on a trans person’s mental health.

It’s worth considering how the employer would support staff receiving other lifesaving procedures, such as radiotherapy for cancer. This is at the employer’s discretion, but they could also think about setting out paid leave for transitioning in their policies, so it’s treated like other holiday or sick leave policies.

If a paid leave transitioning policy is provided, it should be easily accessible and publicised as part of the benefits package and existing policies, to share with current staff and potential candidates.

2. HR strategy and career support

HR should develop a personalised strategy for supporting the employee’s transition. If the trans person is in a public-facing role or regularly works with people outside the organisation, they might want a temporary move away from their current position.

There could be further considerations around uniform, toilet and changing facilities, or staff photos in early transition.

In all cases, the strategy needs to be led by the transitioning colleague. It’s also vital that any disclosure of personal circumstances is mutually agreed and relevant to the employee’s role.

Crucially, support should continue throughout the employee’s time with the organisation.

For more information, consult the CIPD’s factsheet: Employers’ legal responsibilities


Sources and references

Survey data

2021 data: total sample size was 410 trans or non-binary adults in employment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd – 12th February 2021. The survey was carried out online. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.

2016 data: total sample size was 435 trans workers. Fieldwork was undertaken between 10th – 26th February 201616. The survey was compiled by eDigital Research and distributed online via trans organisations, bloggers, activists and online forums. Full report.

Partners

Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity began as the organisers of the annual Sparkle Weekend, hosted in Sackville Gardens in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village. Since becoming a registered charity in 2011, the Sparkle Weekend has grown exponentially, and is now the largest free-to-attend celebration of gender diversity in the world.

Run by a team of passionate and dedicated volunteers, the charity also delivers training and projects throughout the year to further its aims of promoting the acceptance and inclusion of the trans, non-binary/genderfluid and intersex community.

Contact info@sparkle.org.uk for local resources. https://www.sparkle.org.uk/

Fox Fisher is an artist, author, film-maker and LGBTQIA+ educator. Fox is an award winning artist, film maker and campaigner. Fox formed My Genderation, an ongoing film project about trans issues in the UK and beyond. Through My Genderation, Fox has created over a 100 films, shown on Channel 4, the BBC and at 40+ film festivals such as the BFI FLARE Film Festival and Frameline Film Festival. Fox co-authored two books: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl? and The Trans Teen Survival Guide. Fox is a proud patron of LGBT Switchboard and a co-founder and trustee of Trans Pride, Brighton. https://linktr.ee/TheFoxFisher

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir is a feminist, author and trans campaigner. They currently co-run the film project My Genderation, are an advisor to All About Trans, columnist in the Metro and were on BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women List in 2019. They are also the chair of Trans Iceland and a leading activist in Iceland for legal and social change on gender equality, trans rights and LGBTQIA+ rights as a whole. https://linktr.ee/Ugla

With Pride – Totaljobs Group’s dedicated community for LGBTQ+ staff and allies, part of the All_In network, the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion network.

Visuals

Illustrations by Fox Fisher.

Media

Read the press release and quotes from Jon Wilson, Totaljobs Group’s CEO, and Lee Clatworthy, Sparkle’s spokesperson:

Resources

Definitions

Definitions provided by Sparkle.

Male with trans history: Someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a male.

Female with trans history: Someone who was assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a female.

Non-binary: People whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably within established gender binaries of male or female. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, or none of them.

Genderqueer: A non-binary gender identity which is often fluid and can fall within or outside of established binary characteristics.

Agender: A gender identity expressed as an indifference towards prescriptive concepts of gender, or as a neutral point between all other gender identities.

Deadnaming: Calling someone by their birth name after they have changed their name, usually as a part of gender transition.

Social transition: Aligning gender expression with a gender identity different to that person’s gender assigned a birth.

Medical transition: The medical procedures a trans person undergoes to better align their sex characteristics and outward appearance with their gender identity.

Misuse of pronouns, or Misgendering: Often, but not always, a malicious attempt to cause a trans person distress by using a form of address which does not reflect their gender identity.

Microaggressions: Statements, actions, or incidents considered an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalised group.

Trans history: A person identifying or living as a gender opposite or different to that assigned at birth.

Anti-trans behaviour: Negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards trans people or concepts of gender identity outside of the established gender binaries.

Helplines

Galop http://www.galop.org.uk/

The National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm and Wednesday-Thursday 10am-8pm to give advice and support for people who have experienced domestic abuse, as well as professionals. It can be reached by calling 0800 999 5428 or emailing help@galop.org.uk

Mindline Trans+https://mindlinetrans.org.uk/

Mindline Trans+ is an emotional and mental health support helpline for anyone identifying as transgender, non-binary, genderfluid… They also support family members, friends, colleagues and carers. It can be reached by calling 0300 330 5468, Mondays & Fridays 8pm-midnight.

Switchboardhttps://switchboard.lgbt/

Advice, helpline and toolkit for members of the public and volunteers.

Unions

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