Supporting Transgender Employees at Work: What Leaders Need to Know
For Transgender Day of Visibility, we are centering the important topic of how managers can support transgender (trans) employees who choose to come out in the workplace. In 2022, almost 1.5 million adults in the US reported transgender identities. We know that stigma and the very real potential dangers of being openly transgender deter trans individuals from reporting their identity, so this number is likely significantly higher.
Trans people exist in our workplaces, whether we’re aware of it or not. However, research shows that over half of trans employees are not comfortable being out at work, and two-thirds are not comfortable being out in professional interactions outside their own companies. The discomfort, invisibility, and even harm experienced by trans members of the workforce is unacceptable. For trans individuals to feel seen, valued, celebrated, and included businesses must invest in authentic support for trans employees.
“The discomfort, invisibility, and even harm experienced by trans members of the workforce is unacceptable.”
For that reason, today we will take you through some foundational considerations that will set you up for success in supporting trans employees who come out at work. By providing an overarching landscape of what leaders need to know, our hope is to offer guidance in building an environment that is supportive and inclusive of folks who are transitioning at work.
Here is what leaders need to know to effectively support trans employees who choose to come out and transition at work:
“Coming out” looks different for everyone. The trans experience is not singular; every trans person will have their own process of “coming out” as transgender, particularly at work. Some people enter a workplace “out” and openly trans to their employer and/or colleagues. In other situations, people come out as trans while already established and socialized within their workplace. Affirming their newly shared gender identity may require changes to how you, the company, and coworkers perceive, support, and interact with them. Coming out can manifest as a slow drip of sharing to different individuals over time and as the individual feels safe and ready to do so, or it can be a more pronounced, all-at-once-shift. In any case, leaders must prioritize facilitating the employee’s desired process and timeline. That requires being mindful of confidentiality and privacy, while offering individualized support grounded in empathy and respect.
There is no one way to be trans or to transition. In parallel to the variation found in coming out, transition needs are also person specific. Transitioning (should individuals identify with this term) is nuanced and individualized, and may involve social, medical, and/or legal changes. Choosing to take any of these steps (or none at all) does not make someone more or less trans.
Social transitioning may involve changing one’s name and/or pronouns, shifting personal style choices, and/or occupying different spaces, such as the restroom they use to better align with their gender-identity.
Medical transitioning may include changes such as gender-affirming surgeries or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Legal transitioning might include updating the gender marker and/or name on official documents including driver’s licenses, passports, credit cards, and more.
“Choosing to take any of these steps (or none at all) does not make someone more or less trans.”
3. Each person will have unique needs as part of their transition. Since the coming out and transitioning processes look different for everyone, supporting your trans employees requires an individualized approach. As a leader, embrace an ethos of flexible support that prioritizes collaboration and centers the individual experience. Keep in mind these considerations:
Offer a comprehensive, flexible menu of opt-in options for how an employee’s transition may be implemented as a starting point. Sometimes it can be overwhelming for the transitioning employee to know where to start or to understand what supports are available to them. Having existing transition plans in place as examples can make the process seem less daunting and give you and the employee a jumping off point when developing a customized transition plan.
Collaborate with the transitioning employee to co-create tailored supports and solutions that feel right for them. Supports should not be limited to the existing menu of options but be based on what the individual wants and needs. Managers should work closely with the transitioning employee to determine what types of supports make sense for them. Recognize that trans employees understands themselves and their unique needs best and let them guide and have ownership in the co-creation of a customized transition plan.
Take the pressure of advocacy off the trans employee, while still giving them full control over their transition at work. By working collaboratively alongside the transitioning employee to find individualized solutions, managers can take responsibility for some of the heavy lifting that may be involved in building out customized supports and solutions. Managers can also do the work of advocating for system- or company-wide changes that may be necessary to meet the needs of transitioning employees.
“As a leader, embrace an ethos of flexible support that prioritizes collaboration and centers the individual experience. ”
Trans people are more than likely members of your workforce, whether you know it or not. As a leader, understanding the uniqueness of the coming out process, the varied needs, and experiences of what it means to transition, and the importance of taking an individualized approach as a collaborative partner is essential to effectively support trans employees within your company. In understanding and applying these foundational considerations, you are demonstrating to transitioning employees that they are valued, respected, included, and encouraged to be visible in whatever way feels affirming and safe for them.
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Appendix: Important Definitions
Gender identity (noun): A person’s internal understanding of their own gender.
Gender expression (noun): Aspects of a person’s external presentation including appearance, behaviors, and mannerisms that may be (or may be perceived as) gendered (including clothing, accessories, hair style, body parts, tone of voice, name, pronouns, etc.)
Transgender/trans (adjective): A gender identity that is different than the sex or gender assigned to someone at birth. Trans individuals may relate to gender in an infinite number of ways: as men, women, or outside of the gender binary (ex. non-binary, gender non-conforming, agender, bigender etc.). It is important to note that not all individuals who identify with a gender different than the one they were assigned at birth identify as trans or transgender. We should never make assumptions about how someone identifies.
Cisgender (adjective): A gender identity that is aligned with the sex or gender assigned to someone at birth.
Transitioning (verb): The process of making changes to aspects of one’s gender expression to better affirm one’s gender identity.
