Diversity and inclusion are essential for employers in all industries, whether they operate in the private or public sector. In fact, according to a plethora of studies, more inclusive workplaces tend to be more productive.
This guidance is aimed at providing businesses with information on how to attract and retain transgender staff and prospective employees.
Identifying a point of contact for any prospective transgender candidates is essential for any workplace aimed at maintaining diversity and inclusion.
Both the staff member and the employer would benefit from this approach, as the former would have access to someone aware of their specific needs (such as the names on documentation not matching up) and the latter would have the guarantee that they are minimizing any obstacles to attracting skilled candidates and that their methods will not infringe legal requirements related to unauthorized disclosure of someone’s transgender status.
During interviews, employers should adhere to the best recruitment standards. Personnel acquisition and diversity policies, as well as the legislation, can be covered in seminars and training for human resource managers.
The ability to present the advantages of a job to all employees via an inclusive culture and network is another important skill for managers to have.
Some candidates may not want to reveal their transgender status during a job interview.
However, you should avoid making assumptions about someone’s gender based on how they look. Candidates may wish to inform a hiring committee that they want to undergo gender transition in certain situations.
In such instances, hiring managers are advised to:
- Thank the applicant for their transparency;
- Explain that if hired, the company would be there to assist them;
- Stay focused on the interview’s primary goal, which is to determine, whether or not the candidate has what it takes for the position.
Retaining Transgender Workers in the Workplace
For lawful reasons, the business has the right to control employee appearance and conduct in the workplace. When it comes to dressing, a transgender employee has the freedom to express their gender identification while still adhering to the same dress code as everyone else in their workplace.
Only the employee can decide when and how to start a socio-cultural transition. It’s important to know that workers who are transitioning don’t have to make any changes to their official papers to portray themselves as the person they want to be in the office.
If a staff member’s name (or pronouns) changes, the new name must be used in all workplace settings. However, for tax reasons, the employee must alter their name with their financial institution before payroll changes are implemented.
When it comes to transgender workers, your company can demonstrate a positive attitude by treating everyone with due respect. Employees who identify as transgender need to ensure they will be treated respectfully.
Written or verbal agreements between the company and employees summarize a set of regulations related to sharing information about the transition, as well as other issues, such as:
- The opportunity to take time off from work for medical reasons;
- Peer-to-peer, team-to-team and department-to-organization communication;
- Door signs, name badges, email addresses, and other forms of identification, as well as social media profiles and pictures;
- Changes in personal characteristics, such as a new name or a new wardrobe, etc.
- Taking care of any lapses in attendance;
- Planning when and how the employee will transition at work, such as beginning to wear clothing that represents their stated gender or altering their name;
- For the transition day, make sure everything is set up so that colleagues are informed, and personnel records are up to date.
Employees undergoing hormone therapy are exempt from being penalized for being absent from work while the process is underway. People who miss work because of sickness or accident will still get the same level of care.
There is no time limit set out in this law for this leave of absence. Taking sick leave for gender transition is no different from taking sick leave for any other reason. It is important to address any needs that an employee may have while on sick leave.
Transgender individuals are protected by UK law from discrimination based on their gender identity or expression.
If you are a company owner or a senior decision-maker and are concerned about any of the issues highlighted in this article, you can contact experts at National Gender Training for further recommendations.
