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What should employees and employers do to accommodate transgender persons in corporate America? Should human resources policies be updated? Which restroom should he/she use?
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What should employees and employers do to accommodate transgender persons in corporate America? Should human resources policies be updated? Which restroom should he/she use?
How to welcome a transgender person at work?
By Nevena Kraguljevic
Your company has just hired a transgender employee seated in the cubicle next to you. Which pronounse should be used to address your new neighbor? Which restroom will he/she use? Should the dress code be amended?
Transgender is an umbrella term that includes transsexual, intersex, bi-gender, and other gender variant people who, to varying degrees, transgress from the cultural norms assigned for each sex. Transgender individuals’ gender identity usually does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender (gender identity), commonly used as a synonym for sex, is a person’s actual or perceived sex, including appearance, expressions, and/or behavior, whether or not those are different from that of traditionally associated with a person's sex at birth.
The benefits of diverse workforce have been embraced by corporate America. Different perspectives in corporate work teams typically mean improvements, for the team, product/service offered, and the company as a whole.
Unfortunately, many companies fail to provide a safe space for transgender individuals. The main reason why companies should consider changing their policies is due to the new trend that is developing amongst the youth and young adults. University research has shown individuals are starting to identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender (GLBT) much earlier in their lives than only five years ago; many of them "come out" as early as middle school and high school. These students are selecting higher education institutions based on the GLBT "friendliness". These students will, upon their graduation, decide to find employment in the companies that meet and/or exceed the college or university they attended.
Top 5 ways to welcome transgender employees:
Change the AA/EEO policies to include gender identity.
Educate employees at all levels in regards to gender identity.
Support and respect your employees’ decisions to change pronouns, dress appearances, names, etc.
Provide same benefits to all employees.
Provide equality at your organization by providing restrooms, locker rooms, etc. that can reflect on the gender identity.
To help you achieve these top five priorities, Diversity Builder will provide custom training. Diversity Builder will help educate employees, change policies, create gender neutral restrooms and locker rooms, design memos to announce any transitions your employees wish to make public, or work to resolve any issues that employees may face at your organization. These changes will, in the long run, create a vast difference to a prospective or current employee.
Nevena Kraguljevic is an accomplished diversity trainer and artist, with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Union University, Schenectady, New York.
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