Trans

Gender identity is the personal sense of where we belong in our social lives as men or women (the ‘binary’ model of gender) or on the spectrum in between. This includes those who identify as being non-binary, gender fluid or non-gender.

Trans people are protected by the Equality Act 2010 under the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. Creating an atmosphere of respect and inclusivity in the workplace widens the pool from which expertise can be recruited and retained. People work better if they can be themselves so making trans people welcome makes good business sense and benefits everyone. Employers need to take pre-emptive steps to ensure trans employees are able to work to the best of their ability.

Statistics

Collection of data on transgender people is subject to differences in methodology and terminology. A survey by the EHRC published in 2012 found that at least 1% of the general population met the criteria for protection under the gender reassignment characteristic of the Equality Act 2010[1].

However, there are many more people, under the wider transgender umbrella, who identify as non-binary, including a few who identify as non-gender. In 2014, research in the Netherlands[2] found that approximately 5% of the general population is transgender; comprising 1% identifying as binary trans, plus an additional 4% identifying as non-binary trans.

A proportion of these transgender individuals will change their gender expression and possibly seek medical treatment. Employers need to be aware that this will be reflected in their workforce and their service users.

[1] Fiona Glen and Karen Hurrell Technical Note: measuring gender identity(n=10,000) (2012)

www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/technical_note_final.pdf

[2] Kuyper, L., & Wijsen, C. (2014) cited by GIRES 2016

 

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