MORE than half of trans – including non-binary – people in Scotland have experienced bullying or harassment at work, according to the first major Scottish research of its type.
LGBT Health and Wellbeing said 60% had experienced harassment, with most not reporting it because of a lack of confidence that managers were able to deal with transphobic bullying.
The group said 40% of those surveyed said their trans identity had a negative impact on their job prospects, and 41% felt their workplace was trans inclusive, although three-quarters of them would like to see more LGBT-inclusive strategies in place.
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LGBT Health and Wellbeing said the report findings pointed to a strong need for better policies, raising levels of awareness, education, guidance and training, alongside greater positive visibility of trans people.
The term “trans” (transgender) is used in the report as an inclusive umbrella term for anyone whose gender identity does not fully correspond with the sex assigned to them at birth.
It refers collectively to trans men, trans women, and non-binary people.
Among the anonymous responses given to the group, one person said: “I'm a professional with a specialist skill set so getting an interview is easy.
“The trouble is once I turn up, I often get met with sour faces and a bad attitude when they realise that I am trans.
“I often out myself during the application process so that I am sure that I will be given a fair shot at the job. Even that has not guarded against some horrible experiences.”
Another said: “The company has mandatory diversity training for all staff, but when the person delivering the course is happy to allow discriminatory and inflammatory comments, it is clear that the company is only ticking boxes.”
A third added: “Have been repeatedly misgendered, and had my boss tell me about another trans person and question if he should be using ‘it’ pronouns.”
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Maruska Greenwood, chief executive, of LGBT Health and Wellbeing, said: “We know trans people experience considerable barriers looking for and staying in work.
“We wanted to understand more about these in a Scottish context. Although there are positive experiences and examples of good practice, the overall picture points to many people experiencing acute disadvantage due to their trans identity.
“These include negative effects on job prospects, workplaces not being trans inclusive, harassment and unfair treatment at work and mental health impact.
“We hope the report findings and recommendations will act as a catalyst for change, help inform progress towards greater work equality and, ultimately, the economic advancement and social inclusion of trans people in Scotland.”
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