Managing a diverse team - Transgender

 

Transgender

It is a discussion between Madeline Johnson and Dr. Nicole Price back in May 2018 (https://youtu.be/x313zIjMguQ) about the issues a transgender person is facing at workplace, and the importance of preparing the company or the team when a peer is transitioning.

 

Transgender is used to describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth.

 

Madeline is a transgender employee facing challenges at work, and she shared her experience at workplace with the audience.

 

Madeline’s Workplace Challenges Due to Transgender

1. Madeline points out that the employers neither educate themselves nor think it is needed to learn more about transgender employees. The most common issues that she has found is the transgender employee easily got fired by the employer, not necessary to be at the spot, but maybe a day or a week, without any explanations or reasons. She believes the employer might be aware of the legal consequence for doing so, but simply not care and chose to risk a law suit to get rid of the transgender employee.

 

2.     The other issue that Madeline commonly sees at workplace is that the employer might show that they try to work with the transgender employee, but all of a sudden, they create reasons, document things systematically to find ways that the transgender employee creates problems. The employer sets up the transgender employee and creates ways for dismissal which is in fact a pretext.

 

3.     Madeline also points out a case where the employer tried to show support to the transgender employee by giving a sense of feeling to that person that the employer is willing to bring him or her along and will be willing to create a plan for that person to work with the new identity amongst other employees. Once that person believes he or she is working at the safe place and comes out with the new identity, the employer suggests him or her to work in somewhere else with the new identity. It shows the risk of facing unemployment because of coming out at work. While it is illegal to fire a person for a bias reason, Madeline believes it can be hard to prove as the employer can have many ways to cover things up.

 

Strategies and Impacts

 

1.     Encourage and cultivate a supportive culture and environment

 

It is important for the employers to affirm and respect a transgender person’s identity. The employers can make an effort to learn more and educate themselves by creating a culture at workplace that makes the transgender employee feels safe to open up themselves. For example, 1) the employers can take initiative and research what transgender means, what the transgender people see themselves and the difficulties they are facing at work, 2) the employers do not need to take special/extra care of this transgender employee. Instead, they can simply treat this transgender person the same as other employees and listen more, 3) the employers can also show their support by simply creating a unisex toilet at workplace. It is more inclusive for transgender people.

 

The supportive culture and environment at workplace allow the transgender employees like Madeline to have better health (e.g. no frustration, depression), increased job satisfaction, greater likelihood of disclosing new identity, and greater commitment to their jobs.

 

2.     Policies reviewed, strengthened, and adopted

 

To promote a safe and comfortable environment at work, it is important to have policies to support the transgender employees. For example, a policy that prohibits discrimination on gender identity, HR system that includes personal pronouns, health insurance that covers hormone therapy for employees seeking to transition, a family-leave policy that treats all parents equally.

All of these can help the transgender employees like Madeline to overcome some challenges and ease their concerns and anxiety at work. On the contrary, a lack of trans-specific policies might lead to higher turnover and even litigation.

 

3.     Provide training on trans-specific topics

 

Training is a powerful tool to educate people about transgender. A transgender training can be part of the equality and diversity training introducing and explaining relevant policies so to ensure they are heard and understood. The policies are crucial for setting the guidelines on how to avoid discrimination and be more inclusive. It is a good opportunity to gather everyone, encourage conversations, listen, understand, and solve any issues or address to any questions regarding transgender.

 

Sometimes we feel anxiety and unsafe because we do not understand or misunderstand something. The transgender training can generate not only knowledge but also conversations about where lines blur. By having the transgender training, everyone can have a better understanding and feel more comfortable to share how they feel. This is a very positive act to take to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment for transgender employees including Madeline.

 

4.     Never make assumption

 

It is important not to make assumptions about people’s personal lives or risk misgendering colleagues. For example, 1) one should not automatically ask women about husbands or boyfriends, and men about wives or girlfriends. Instead, we can use terms such as friend, spouse, and partner, 2) ask for and then use the pronouns that each individual uses to self-identify, 3) ask everyone at company events to include their pronouns on their name tags to show the support for the transgender employees and reduces the chances to misgender others.

 

The misuse of pronouns might cause stress, discomfort and anxiety to transgender employees and Madeline, and proper use of pronouns can definitely help reduce depression and frustration for them, and create a happy and inclusive work environment.

 

5.     Work toward diversity

 

Building an inclusive company starts with recruiting and hiring a diverse set of employees. For example, blind resume screening like removing names, gender signifiers can help reduce unconscious bias in hiring decisions. Companies must be willing to recruit, hire and work with transgender people and learn about the challenges they face at workplace.

Diverse workforce can successfully combat possible prejudices and reduce unconscious bias, and which can definitely support the transgender employees like Madeline to overcome some challenges at workplace.  If no effort is made to recruit and promote diverse employees, the transgender employees will continue to face the challenges (e.g. difficult job-hunt, get fired with no reason) and discrimination (e.g. when applying for a job or while at work) at workplace.

 

6.     Help create a timeline

 

Workplace is all about communication. The employers can have a conversation with the transgender employees as to when they want to change their name and/or pronouns at work. For example, Madeline suggests it might be a good time to do announce the new identity after the transgender employees come back to work from a vacation.

 

Affirming a person’s pronouns can be an implication of existence. By using the correct pronouns, it can reduce the adverse effects of social oppression against the transgender employees. Therefore, the company’s support and arrangement for a timeline can definitely help overcome some challenges the transgendered employees and Madeline face at workplace.

 

Conclusion

Only when people feel totally authentic and connected with their workplace can they devote their full self at work. I am surprised to see so many challenges the transgender people are still facing at workplace nowadays, and I truly hope that all companies can do more research on the trans-specific topics and take proactive steps to help support people who are seeking transitioning.