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    Transgender employees: workplace impacts on health and well-being

    Beauregard, T. Alexandra and Booth, J.E. and Whiley, L.A. (2021) Transgender employees: workplace impacts on health and well-being. In: Hassard, J. and Torres, L.D. (eds.) Aligning Perspectives in Gender Mainstreaming: Gender, Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being. Springer, pp. 177-196. ISBN 9783030532680.

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    Abstract

    Given that research consistently finds transgender individuals sustaining worse health outcomes than cisgender individuals, it is important to understand the workplace health and well-being experiences of trans employees in order to develop and support trans-sensitive Human Resources policies and interventions. We take an employee journey perspective to explore the experiences of trans individuals as they navigate organizational processes such as recruitment and selection, managing change, co-worker relationships, performance and termination. What the literature demonstrates is that transgender workers face many barriers to physical and psychological health, safety and well-being at work. These barriers can range from organisational oversights such as lack of access to appropriate bathroom facilities to social exclusion and/or verbal harassment from co-workers and physical attacks from customers. Anticipation of mistreatment generates psychological strain and anxiety and lowers trans workers’ career aspirations and career-building behaviours such as applying for jobs or promotions. Trans workers often conceal their transgender identity at work as a coping strategy for avoiding discrimination and harassment, but this in turn produces strain and fatigue arising from the cognitive and emotional effort involved in constructing and maintaining facades. Although HR staff should be the first point of contact for trans employees to develop their plans for coming out and for gender transition if applicable, our review indicates that in many cases, HR may not know how to initially or adequately respond.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Book Section
    Additional Information: This is an Author Accepted Manuscript version of the chapter, reproduced with permission. The final authenticated version is available online at the link above.
    Keyword(s) / Subject(s): Transgender, Gender identity, LGBT, Disclosure, Transition
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School
    Depositing User: Alexandra Beauregard
    Date Deposited: 16 Mar 2021 11:59
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 18:07
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/42682

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