The population of people identifying as transgender or gender diverse (TGD) is becoming increasingly visible, which requires organisations to be inclusive of all gender identities.
Robin Ladwig’s research about work experiences and career development for transgender and gender diverse individuals aims to narrow the knowledge gap about TGD-specific enablers and barriers regarding the inclusion of gender diversity.
In this webinar, Robin outlines how you can foster an inclusive work culture and environment for transgender and gender diverse employees.
Highlights
- Employers need to balance gender neutrality and gender inclusivity. For example, offer employees a choice of male, female and unisex uniforms.
- Show support by educating yourself (especially on generic issues) and using people’s preferred pronouns.
- In the Q&A: what’s the best way to include gender diverse people in events like International Women’s Day?
Related resources
Thank you to the webinar participants who suggested many of the fabulous resources on this list.
Self-education resources
- How to get better at using a coworker’s non-binary pronouns (and what to do if you make a mistake)
- TransHub is a great resource hub for trans and gender diverse people, as well as allies and clinicians. See their 101 page for an introduction to terms like cis, trans and gender affirmation.
Research
More by Robin Ladwig:
- WFH offers welcome change for gender diverse employees
- Influences on occupational identity through trans and gender diverse identity: A qualitative study about work experiences of trans and gender diverse individuals
Books
- All about Yves: Notes from a transition – Historian Dr Yves Rees’ memoir about their trans experience.
Guidelines, policies and entitlements for gender affirmation
Policies are living documents, and should always be developed and reviewed in consultation with the people they affect the most. However, if you would like to refer to policies from other organisations as a starting point, here are some examples that were shared by webinar participants:
- TransHub has a template and a list of things to consider when developing a workplace gender affirmation policy.
- Monash University
- Northern Territory Government (see Section 97 of the Enterprise Agreement)
- RMIT University
- University of Queensland
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- University of Western Australia [.rtf, 2.25 MB]
- University of Wollongong
- UNSW
Once you have a policy in place, don’t forget to check if it’s being implemented correctly and if it is serving its intended purpose. For example, if your organisation offers gender affirmation leave, how many times has this leave been granted? Was it easy for to apply for and did people feel supported during that process?
Days of significance
- 31 March | Trans Day of Visibility
- 17 May | International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)
- 14 July | International Non-Binary People’s Day
- October | International Pronouns Day
- 20 November | Transgender Day of Remembrance
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