Transgender at Work

Resources for Employers

You want your business to be the Best in its Class. Every employee should be working at peak productivity, without being distracted by harrassment or fear of discrimination. Yet you aren't hearing much from your transgender employees. Does this mean you don't have any? Or that they are to afraid to come out?

This site collects resources for employers who would like to treat all their employees fairly, including those whose gender presentation isn't quite Barbie or Rambo. It can be difficult to enact policies without understanding the issues. And, without clear nondiscrimination policies in place, most transgender workers will fear for their jobs if they come out, or if they are somehow found out.

Our goal is to understand the issues, and the solutions that have permitted many companies to successfully make full use of their gender variant workers.

Some background - What is this all about, anyway?

What does "Transgender" mean? How many Transgenders are there? What do all these words mean? Read some background information.

Equal Employment Opportunity - Is Discrimination OK?

Does your company have an EO policy prohibiting discrimination based on gender? Should it? What language should you use? What issues will such a policy raise in your workplace? TAW's EO Policy Primer answers your questions.

Writing a Transgender Transition Policy?

If you're writing an HR policy to cover gender transition on the job, you may need some guideance. Transgender at Work has prepared a list of resources to help you write your policy.

Benchmark of Best Current Practices

In 2000, Transgender at Work sponsored a benchmark comparing the best current practices of five Fortune 500 companies affecting transgender workers. Can your company learn from the successes of other progressive businesses?

The restroom - How to handle this touchy situation?

It's often remarked that, whenever transgender people come out at work, the issue that always seems to come up is "what restroom will she (or he) use?" Restrooms are a mundane part of life, but yet this one issue causes more discussion than any other aspect of the transition. Ironically, it's not objections by coworkers that cause the problem, it's fear among the decision makers that somebody might object.

Medical Benefits for Transsexual Employees

Does your health benefits plan contain an exclusion clause saying that no medical benefits related to transsexualism will be covered? How does this exclusion affect your transsexual employees? How much would it cost your company to include the benefit? Find out in TAW's Transgender Health Benefits Primer.

Gender Expression in the Workplace

Can your company discriminate against a gay man who is visibly "too gay" in the workplace? Or against a women who is "pushy" or "aggressive", or who always wears pants, when these same traits would be valued in a man? What about crossdressers? Find out.

Transition Checklist

What steps should be taken to manage the transition process in the workplace from one gender to another? TAW offers a checklist.

Media Coverage

Positive media coverage helps both the GLBT and HR communities show how diversity makes a difference in the workplace.

Recommended Books

There are many useful books and publications to understand the transgender community, and how to help them be their most productive the workplace, in detail.

Employer FAQ

We answer the Frequently Asked Questions by Employers about transgender workplace issues.

Back to Transgender at Work home page.