Every Once In A While…

I come across an article that is a gem, this one is on employment discrimination.

‘Trans-forming’ the Workplace to Be Transgender Inclusive
Transgender and gender-nonconforming people often run into unnecessary barriers that make their jobs harder than they need to be. Here are 10 actions that social sector organizations can take to help.
Stanford University: Invocation Review
By Nico Calvo Rosenstone
March 29, 2019

Imagine spending your workday stressed out about which restroom facility to use and when, either because you fear harassment or because you just don’t feel comfortable in a bathroom that doesn’t match your gender identity or expression. This is the day-to-day reality for many transgender and gender-nonconforming people, who often run into unnecessary barriers that make their jobs harder than they need to be.
[…]
When it comes to trans employees or any other marginalized group, true inclusion is not just about creating a more diverse workplace; it’s also about making sure organizations are treating all employees equitably when it comes to opportunities, benefits, and people’s everyday experiences when they go to work. Here are 10 actions organizations can take to create more equitable and welcoming work environments for trans and gender-nonconforming employees.

The author goes on to list the actions…

2. Do a Policy Check
Many organizations have non-discrimination, anti-harassment, and other policies that list protected categories of people. Check that your guidelines include the words “gender identity or expression.” We may think no one reads or cares about these policies, but they are an important signal to employees and the outside world about what our organizations value. Beyond simply editing or updating them, it’s important to make sure all current employees understand what they mean through staff education, new employee orientation, and ongoing communications. Updated policies should also be embedded in employee manuals and job postings. The Transgender Law Center has a step-by-step guide on implementing transgender-inclusive employment policies in your organization.

3. Plan for Transitions Before They Happen
When an employee transitions on the job, organizations can make life easier for everyone by having policies and procedures in place. Work with your organization’s leaders, managers, and human resources (HR) staff to plot out how to ensure successful workplace transitions. This includes developing clear guidelines for supporting an employee going through a transition, communicating to staff and other constituencies about the transition, and making necessary changes to employment records.

One thing I want to add; don’t engrave the transition schedule in stone, it has to be flexible. I know of one company that wanted to hold the trans person to the company’s schedule, when the trans person ran into a snag the company was pushing her to get back on schedule.

5. Advocate for a Gender-Neutral Bathroom
The core principle put forth by the US federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) couldn’t be clearer: All employees, including transgender and gender-nonconforming employees, should have access to restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Unnecessary bathroom restrictions can result in people avoiding restrooms entirely at work, which is unhealthy and even dangerous. A recent study found that more than 60 percent of transgender Americans have avoided using public restrooms for fear of confrontation, saying they have been harassed and assaulted while doing so. No one should have to worry about their safety in a bathroom, even less so at work.

Two take a-ways for this action. First you cannot make the trans person use the gender neutral bathroom… that is discrimination!

And second when I was going to UConn School of Social Work some of the students were circulating a petition for the university to install gender neutral bathrooms and I said that I would not sign it unless the petition said that it was optional. My worry is that businesses will force a trans person to use the gender neutral bathroom, I am not opposed to gender neutral bathrooms. There may be some trans  people who would want to use a gender neutral bathroom and there also might be some cisgender people who might not want to share a bathroom with a trans person.

It is important to have policies in place to not only how to handle a transition but also how to handle a dissenter.