Totaljobs has partnered with transgender�charity�Sparkle�to advise employers on how to create a more trans-friendly working environment after a new survey reveals worrying levels of discrimination and concern among trans employees.
The new survey of over 400 trans employees, conducted by Totaljobs in collaboration with YouGov, has discovered two thirds (65%) of trans people find it necessary to hide their trans status at work.� Read the full survey results on Totaljobs� website: Totaljobs Trans Employee Experiences Survey 2021
Figures show�the number of trans employees hiding their status in the workplace has�risen�13%�compared to�the last time Totaljobs ran this research in�20164,�where�over half (52%)�felt it necessary to�do so.
Over half (56%)�of trans employees�think it�s harder for them to find employment because of who they are, with 50% admitting to�masking�their�true selves�when looking for a new role.
As a result,�trans people�feel�they�have�to�hide�their�true identity�to�progress,�with�only?56% of trans employees�sharing�their status with colleagues.
Of those�who have�shared their trans�status,?51% said their colleagues responded positively�to them coming out, compared with�50% in?2016.�Only�5% saw their colleagues react negatively�to them coming out,�which�is down from�10%?in 2016.
An�unsafe�space
Coming out to colleagues is a gamble,�with many receiving anti-trans treatment and�abuse.�Discrimination�is a�big issue,�with�one in three (32%)�trans workers having�experienced�it�at work over the last?five?years.
Bullying or insults�(32%),��deadnaming��(27%), where�people�are�consciously�called�by�a former name, along with?deliberately�misusing�pronouns?(30%)?are the�most commonly experienced�forms�of abuse.
A�quarter�(25%)�of trans employees have�experienced�social exclusion�by colleagues,�17% have been�left out�from�work projects and�6% have been physically abused or threatened�in the workplace.
Places of discrimination
Where does�abuse occur?�The�workplace�itself�is�where�trans people�are�where trans people experience discrimination/abuse the most frequently from their colleagues.
Trans workers can�t�find�respite from discrimination�during�the day,�as�it�happens for�many�during�breaks (30%�of respondents).�It�commonly�occurs�in meetings�with colleagues�(29%) and even in�social situations�with colleagues�outside of work�hours�(27%).
The pandemic has been a�welcome break�for trans workers, especially those working from home, as the ability to manage and control their environment, through the imposed isolation, has meant�31%�have felt more confident in themselves.
Subsequently,�20%�said�working from home�removed�the�microaggressions they�typically�experience at work,�while�8% believe their colleagues have�been more supportive�during this�time.
When looking at discrimination today, the data shows the picture for trans workers is better in some areas than it was five years ago:
| Where discrimination�occurs | 2016 | 2021 | Difference |
| Recruitment (applications�or�interviews) | 29% | 22% | Down�7% |
| Colleagues | 38% | 25% | Down 13% |
| Management | 25% | 17% | Down 8% |
| Promotions and progression | 14% | 12% | Down 2% |
Additionally,�43% of trans employees�agree that�acceptance and understanding�of trans�employees in the workplace�has�improved�in the past five years.
Internal support
Currently, there is a lack of awareness surrounding trans people�s experiences at work and the barriers they face in their careers. This is a result of discriminatory treatment by colleagues or a lack of understanding of trans and gender non-conforming identities.
Employers need to do more�to educate�all members of staff;�24% of trans�employees�said their work offers�information on trans issues and�only a�quarter�(29%) mentioned there were gender-neutral facilities.
Over�a�third (36%) of trans workers?are not aware of�any official process for them to report discrimination�and?35% said they wouldn�t?report?anti-trans behaviour?when it happens.
Only�33% of trans workers�state�their employers�have dedicated�anti-trans�discrimination�policies�for trans employees�in place,�an�indication as to�why many might�not�feel confident�reporting�incidents.
Over half (54%)�state�there is no�training provided for staff on how to support trans employees�in their workplace,�but�trans workers have�found support offered when going through transition positive�overall.
Half�(50%)5�of�those who�socially transitioned at work�reported that support offered from HR, colleagues,�and management was good�to very good. When medically transitioning,�37%6�said they received good�to very good�support�from the same groups.
However, there is still�a portion of the working trans community�going it alone,�without�any offer of�support�from employers�during these major life moments.�18% received no support�from HR�when�medically�transitioning�and�19% didn�t receive support when undergoing a social transition.
Creating an inclusive space
As it stands,�43% of trans employees�have�left a�job�because the environment was unwelcoming.�This�is�7%�higher than�in�2016�when this�figure�was�at�36%.
This shows that trans employees feel one of the only ways to avoid discrimination is to leave their job. However, the solution should be making�the workplace�a more�inclusive and�trans-friendly�place.
Lee Clatworthy, a�Sparkle�spokesperson�said:
�We advise businesses and organisations on the importance of communicating their values externally. Many organisations are doing great�D,�E�&�I work internally, which is obviously important in retaining a diverse workforce�that�feels valued, but many are not promoting this work outside of the organisation�to attract candidates from a�variety�of backgrounds.
“We would recommend de-gendering the language on application forms and throughout the recruitment process to ensure the first interaction with your company is as inclusive as possible.
“Having one single point of contact for all candidates, who is trained to be sensitive to the barriers that trans and gender diverse candidates may face, also helps to build the trust from trans employees that they�ll be welcomed in the organisation.�
Jon Wilson CEO of Totaljobs says:
��Having a situation where any�employee feels�that�they�have to�hide who they are in the workplace, or�even�decide to�leave a role�as a consequence of�not feeling accepted, is simply wrong. To hear that the number of trans people experiencing this has increased since our last report in 2016, is deeply�concerning. As employers, we need to ask serious questions as to what we can do to improve this�state of affairs�and ensure we�re championing a culture that is inclusive of trans individuals, to ensure they have happier, healthier working lives.
“I call upon all companies, big or small, to consider the steps they can take across their attraction, recruitment, and retention strategies to remove the barriers faced by trans people. In particular, having a firm stance against anti-trans behaviour or abuse at work is non-negotiable; nobody should have to feel unwelcome or unsafe at work.
“At Totaljobs, we�re grateful to work alongside trans charity Sparkle to raise awareness of the experiences of trans people at work, and ultimately help organisations, including our own.”
