More transgender people are hiding their gender identity at work to feel safe
Video report by Sarah Rogers
There has been a sharp rise in the number of people in our region forced to hide their gender identity at work fearing prejudice or abuse.
The findings of the TotalJobs Trans Employee Experiences Survey are shocking.
74% of those questioned had or are currently keeping their gender identity a secret
44% of respondents said the biggest challenge was fear of colleagues expressing anti-trans views in the workplace
40% had experienced being bullied or insulted in the workplace
Ashleigh Talbot felt she had to quit her job to safely transition before re-entering the workforce in a new role. That was 10 years ago but the abuse continues.
She has experienced both verbal and physical abuse at work, on one occasion she was elbowed in the back.
Speaking to our From the North podcast Ashleigh says abuse is more common place than people realise, and many wanted to share their experiences and speak out about what has happened to them.
Listen to a longer interview with Ashleigh about her experiences on our podcast From The North:
That interview, and other episodes of the From the North podcast, are available to stream wherever you get your podcasts from.
Sparkle, the National Transgender Charity is calling for managers to do more to support employees and make the workplace more trans-friendly and inclusive
Manchester is the home to the Sparkle weekend, the largest free to attend celebration of gender diversity in the world.
There is some positive news in the research with 37% of those questioned said their employer had dedicated anti-discrimination policies for trans employees.
27% said their employer provide gender neutral facilities.
Whilst there has been progress on making workplaces more inclusive for transgender colleagues.
Sparkle call for those to be extended to make sure everyone feels safe returning to work over the coming weeks and months.