Do not just summarize the article. Answer the following questions: What do you think about the recommendations for improving workplaces for trans employees? What do you think about trans discrimination? How does it relate to the rest of the material in this course about gender, biological sex, and leadership? We're in the midst of a fundamental transformation in how society thinks about gender. With transgender people on the cover of magazines, prominent celebrities challenging gender norms in fashion, and the mainstreaming of people who identify as neither men nor women, the last few decades of cultural trends have brought new ideas about gender to the forefront. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the attitudes of Millennials and Gen Zers, who are more likely to know someone who uses gender- neutral pronouns and to embrace fluid and gender- nonconforming fashion. Despite this, our workplaces lag behind these demographic and cultural shifts. The National Center for Transgender Equality's 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey revealed that one in six respondents who had ever been employed reported being fired, denied a promotion, harassed, or attacked because of their gender identity or expression. At Stanford University, Dr. Alison Fogarty and I analyzed similar stories of discrimination from dozens of people under the transgender umbrella. This group included transgender men and women, gender-fluid people, nonbinary people, cisgender but gender-nonconforming men and women, and many others who challenged societal gender norms. What became apparent over the course of this research was that even organizations that have some understanding of "transgender issues are poorly equipped to respond to gender-nonconforming employees. In their efforts to create inclusive policies and practices for trans people, even progressive organizations can inadvertently entrench outdated and restrictive norms about gender. The answer isn't more policy, but better policy. Through our research, including the personal stories included in this article, we identified four ways company leaders can create policies that empower individual agency, make room for experiences outside of the gender binary, and ensure access to resources and quality of working life for people of all gender identities and expressions. Interpret Nondiscrimination Policies in a Way That's Actually Effective Existing policies that ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression are usually worded as well as they should be, but they're rarely enforced in a way that's actually protective. Most organizations including some of the most progressive companies interpret this policy as, "If you identify as transgender, we will not discriminate against you." This interpretation requires transgender, nonbinary, and gender- nonconforming people to out themselves for their own protection, exchanging their privacy for support. For example, gender transition policies often include company-wide emails to announce an individual's gender transition, as well as company- wide trainings. When training individuals on company policy (especially recruiters, hiring managers, and people managers), explicitly state that acting in accordance with nondiscrimination policies requires: Reducing the amount of gender information collected unless absolutely necessary Not assuming individuals' gender identities or pronouns Respecting the pronouns individuals use for themselves employment was to hide any mention of gender fluidity and try to pass as a cisgender man in the workplace, a compromise that got her a job but wreaked havoc on her mental and emotional well- being. Rethink Dress Codes Policies that extend existing gendered policies (like dress codes) and access to facilities (like bathrooms and locker rooms) to cover trans employees inadvertently exclude nonbinary, gender-fluid, and gender-nonconforming people. These policies were designed for a time where trans people could only receive workplace recognition if they sought to blend in with stereotypical ideas of what it means to be a man or a woman. Yet, as more people challenge the gender binary altogether, these policies lose their usefulness- not only for trans people, but also for cisgender people who don't wish to wear the professional clothing typically expected of their gender. - More inclusive dress codes would remove gendered language and use greater specificity as to acceptable and unacceptable clothing, framed in terms of functionality (e.g., "that does not impede ability to lift 50 pounds") or legitimate business purposes (e.g., safety, easy identification of employees, or branding). If disputes occur, these criteria can be the basis for a conversation about specific attire. We found that formal dress codes or even informal (yet gendered) clothing expectations were an extreme source of stress and conflict for gender-nonconforming people, who frequently Transgender, Gender-Fluid, Nonbinary, and Gender- Nonconforming Employees Deserve Better Policies by Lily Zheng November 20, 2020 Liliya Rodnikova/Stocksy QN 966 a Summary. Workplaces aren't keeping up with demographic and cultural shifts in how society thinks about gender. Even progressive organizations with some understanding of transgender issues are poorly equipped to support gender- nonconforming employees and can... more