EY's Nicky Burr Shares Her Tips on How to Create an Inclusive Workplace for Your Trans Employees

Nicky Burr, Associate Director in the Global Data Office at EY, shares her tips on how employers can create an inclusive workplace for their trans employees. 

When I transitioned, EY were incredibly supportive every step of the way and continue to be today. Here's what I learned that I hope can help employers to create more trans-inclusive workplaces:

Given names
For a variety of reasons, it is often not possible for a transgender person to change their legal name straight away. Workplace systems should enable people to use a given name for all communication other than private and confidential documents that require their legal names, such as contracts and payslips. The persons given name should then be used in email addresses, staff directories, and everywhere it is visible to team members and third parties, such as clients or suppliers.

Inclusive restrooms
Ideally, workplace restrooms should be gender-neutral. However, particularly in leased office spaces, this can be difficult to achieve without a significant reduction in capacity. Consider designating all or some disabled restrooms as inclusive restrooms with suitable signage.

Dress code
Ensure that your organization's dress code is gender-neutral. This both respects non-binary people and also allows those who are in the process of transition to vary their workwear accordingly. For example, if your policy still requires men to wear a collared shirt, then it will be particularly challenging for those with different gender identities or expressions.

Pronouns
Encouraging the placement of pronouns in email signatures, on intranet and videoconferencing profiles, and in meeting introductions helps to create a culture where diversity of gender identity and expression is normalized and makes it less likely for transgender people to be unintentionally 'misgendered'. The popular use of the term 'preferred pronouns' is also unhelpful as it implies that someone's gender identity is a matter of personal preference.

Titles
For many trans people, traditional gendered titles such as 'Mr', 'Mrs' or even 'Ms' do not adequately fit their gender identity, and they feel more comfortable using one of a range of modified titles. Systems should enable employees to define a title of their choosing rather than selecting from a pre-determined list. In doing so, these should allow non-alphabetic characters to be used, in particular, '*' which is often used like this: 'M*'.

Employee-led transition plans
When a transgender person chooses to transition, it is a very personal journey, and the steps they take can vary significantly. It's important that employers do not try and guide someone who is transitioning along a particular path or assume that they will or will not make particular changes in a specific order. It's also quite normal for people’s transition journeys to change as they explore their gender identity and expression of it. One of the main goals of transition for a transgender person is to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by trying to live outside of their identified gender. Often, they will not know what works and what doesn't work until they try it - and this can also change over time. Being made to feel like they are putting people out or that they have one opportunity to 'get it right' can lead to an outcome that is unsatisfactory for both the employee and the workplace.

Transition communication
Whilst transition plans are a very personal thing, the process can impact relationships with colleagues and third parties, including clients and suppliers where involved. Ensuring that changes are clearly communicated, with supporting information and the opportunity to ask questions provided are key to a successful outcome for all.

Sick leave
Where transition requires surgical procedures, associated recovery times can be long, for example, 12-16 weeks for male-to-female gender reconstruction surgery. For some people, multiple procedures may be required. Depending on an employer’s sick pay policy, this can place the transitioning employee in a position where they cross a pay threshold where their salary may be reduced. HR departments should ensure an element of discretion is incorporated in setting and implementing sick pay policies in order that these necessary procedures do not prejudice an employee’s sick leave entitlement or unduly pressure them to return to work too quickly.