Idea in Brief

The Problem

Trans people often experience stigma and discrimination, hostility, and pressure to “manage” their identities in social settings, including the workplace.

Why It Occurs

Despite a growing global awareness of these struggles, many employers remain ill-equipped to develop policies and workplace cultures that support trans employees.

What to Do

Research and interviews or surveys of more than 1,000 trans people suggest four things companies can do: adopt basic practices of trans inclusivity involving bathroom use, dress codes, and pronouns; support gender transitions; develop trans-specific diversity trainings; and utilize resiliency interventions.

For most of us, work is stressful in and of itself. Imagine carrying the added emotional weight of having to deny and suppress one of the most fundamental aspects of who you are—your gender identity—because it doesn’t conform with society’s norms regarding gender expression. And imagine how it would feel if you revealed your authentic self to those you work with and see every day, only to have them reject, ostracize, or ignore you as a result. (Maybe you do not have to imagine at all.)

A version of this article appeared in the March–April 2020 issue of Harvard Business Review.