Skip to content

Transgender employment

Too many trans people are unemployed or underemployed because they do not plan carefully or just hope things will work out for the best.

You can not plan for every way things might go. Some things may be out of your control. The more planning you do, the better your chance of success.

Planning your work transition

Decide if you will transition at your current job or get a new one.

It is usually easier to transition at your current job, then get a new one if needed. If you think your current employers, coworkers, customers, or clients will not be supportive, it may be better to switch sooner. Transitioning at a new job can be harder because you don’t know the culture and people as well, but it can be a better option for some.

  • Do you need recommendations if you plan to stay in the same field?
  • If you work for yourself or deal with the public, do you think clients/customers will be OK? Be honest.
  • If your job is in an intolerant field, should you switch now before you’re in a bind?
  • Do you (and be honest) think if your employment is terminated, you could interview and get hired without your trans status being an issue for the person hiring you? If not, it might be wise to wait to come out at work until you can.

Document your employment

  • Obtain and carefully read any policies from your employee manual and any agreements you signed when you started.
  • Pay special attention to dress codes and employee conduct policies.
  • Obtain and carefully read any insurance policies that cover you to see if they cover trans healthcare.
  • Gather copies of any memos, commendations, performance reviews, dates of raises, etc. and keep them at home.
  • As for positive feedback from customers and clients.
  • Ask bosses and upper management to add recommendations and skills on your LinkedIn profile.
  • Keep a work journal during transition that outlines what you did at work that day and documents any trans-related comments you get. This could come in handy in discrimination or wrongful termination lawsuits.
  • Consider consulting with an employment lawyer well in advance of coming out at work to determine options in your case.

Be a valuable employee

  • Those who are considered reliable and competent employees are more likely to have a smooth transition.
  • Be on time, dress appropriately, complete assignments on time.
  • Try to go above and beyond the bare minimum expected.
  • Do not make inappropriate comments or jokes at work.
  • Try to avoid unnecessary conflicts with others.
  • Do not use company internet and devices for transition research. Many companies monitor employee internet use.
  • Consider dressing conservatively before and after transition. Your appearance will be a major factor in your acceptance.

Find out if others transitioned at your job

  • Try to find current or former employees who transitioned in the same company or field and find out what they did right (or wrong).
  • Does your company have an LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG)? This internal organization can help provide support or connect you with other employees who transitioned.
  • Have your resume, LinkedIn, and everything updated in case you need to interview quickly.

Most trans people make the bulk of their transition decisions based on money. For that reason, it is absolutely essential to think about how you are going to pay for all of this.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Employment and “stealth”

Stealth is more often a fantasy than a reality, especially once you’ve established a career. If you think you’d like to go stealth, you will need to take the following steps:

  • Be accepted without question or suspicion 100% of the time
  • Get references you can trust not to divulge your past
  • Work in an industry where it is unlikely that your past achievements or coworkers will be connected with you.
  • This is a very tall order. Most of us, myself included, would be unwilling or unable to meet these requirements.

Coming-out letters to co-workers

The primary purpose of your letter is to make your transition easier by putting people at ease. 

All good coming-out letters have the following:

They’re appropriate for their audience

If you work in a conservative place, your letter should reflect that. I worked in a fairly open environment that encouraged creativity and humor, so my letter reflected that. Write in your own style, if appropriate. If you are writing it in memo form, it should read like a memo. People in medical jobs may write something with more medical information than others. My co-workers were all knowledgeable in pop culture, so my letter had a ton of cultural references. You get the idea.

They make a connection

Pick a co-worker friend who will be reading your letter and write it to them. Re-read it, thinking of your boss. It should make a connection with anyone who may read it. 

They’re short and simple

I tend to ramble. This letter isn’t the time or place.

They’re professional and not emotive

People don’t really want to hear about how hard your life is. This isn’t the time or place.

They stay focused on the purpose

Your letter is to inform people about your change and to let them know what you expect from them.

What co-workers want to know most is, “how does this affect me?” 

They want some cues about how to act. Answer questions about:

  • why you’re doing this
  • how you’re doing this
  • how they should address you (include pronouns and name pronunciation if it’s unusual)
  • how things should be handled with clients or customers
  • what they should say to someone who hasn’t heard
  • what bathroom and/or changing room arrangements will be
  • what to do if they use the wrong name/pronoun

They deal with misconceptions

Even though you think about gender all the time, most people never give gender issues any thought. Maybe they’ve seen a special or read something, but many will have never met an out trans person and have no idea what to expect.

They answer questions

Beyond wondering how your change will affect them, many people are quite curious about trans people. They probably only know about trans people in the news, and those people are often linked to a controversy. This is your chance to make the main points you want to emphasize. A lot of people will be afraid to stop by and ask questions, so get it done in your letter.

Some companies will request that you not send out information. At the least, you should let management read your letter first. In my case, I was asked to sign a copy of mine before they would pass it out.

Make sure that your letter is passed out appropriately:

  • Passed out at a meeting about your situation
  • Sent or e-mailed via inter-office mail like any memo
  • Mailed to people’s homes
  • Delivered personally by you or your boss

Leave a hard copy with your boss, secretary, human resources, or anyone who might get questions about your status. Most important– leave hard copies where people can pick them up without asking anyone or without anyone knowing. Many more people will pick up copies and read them if they can do so without talking to you or anyone else.

I taped up a manila folder outside my office, and stuck about 20 copies of my letter in it. I had to refill it about every other day for two weeks. It’s a very important thing to do!

Human resources may want to handle everything for you. Be sure you speak with them before letting everyone know.

References

Baboolall, David; Greenberg, Sarah; Obeid, Maurice; Zucker, Jill (November 10, 2021). Being transgender at work. McKinsey & Company https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/being-transgender-at-work

Teschon, Jacqueline (April 15, 2024). Data Reveals New Insights on Transgender Workplace Experiences. Columbia University https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2024/april/data-reveals-new-insights-on-transgender-workplace-experiences/

Smith, Morgan (June 21, 2022). Transgender people still face a sizeable wage and employment gap in the U.S.—how companies can help. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/21/transgender-people-still-face-a-significant-wage-gap-in-the-us.html

Movement Advancement Project, National Center for Transgender Equality, Human Rights Campaign, and Center for American Progress (September 2013). A Broken Bargain for Transgender Workers. https://www.lgbtmap.org/transgender-workers

Hawks Quindel, S.C. (March 28, 2022). Working While Trans: Ten Tips for Transgender Employees. https://www.hq-law.com/blog/employment-law/transgender-workplace-rights/

See also

Companies with transgender health coverage

Resources

Trans Empowerment Project (transempowerment.org)

Out & Equal (outandequal.org)

HRC (hrc.org)

Lambda Legal (lambdalegal.org)

Advocates for Trans Equality (transequality.org)

Transgender Law Center (transgenderlawcenter.org)

SHRM (shrm.org)

TransWork (transwork.org)

Trans Can Work (transcanwork.org)

  • Southern California-focused nonprofit creating a culture nation-wide where Gender Diverse people can thrive in the workplace

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)

US Department of Labor (dol.gov)

Historic trans employment resources

Presented for historical purposes. Information may no longer be accurate or relevant.

TGender (tgender.net)

OutBuro (outburo.com)

National Center for Transgender Equality (nctequality.org)

  • Discrimination
  • nctequality.org/Issues/Discrimination.asp

TS Roadmap (tsroadmap.com)