Employers have a responsibility to create a safe working environment for everybody. 

Understanding how best to support transgender and non-binary inclusion within the workplace has become increasingly important to employers.

This guide will help people professionals, employers and people managers take a proactive and informed approach to supporting transgender and non-binary people at work, as part of a broader EDI policy. With insights from people with lived experience, it will help employers understand the issues and challenges facing transgender and non-binary people at work. 

It covers the employee lifecycle – from recruitment to progression – as well as building inclusive cultures more broadly. Key areas include:

• UK employment law – the legal considerations and the protected characteristic of gender reassignment under the UK Equality Act.  
• Policy – ensuring internal EDI policies support transgender and non-binary inclusion within the workplace. 
• Workplace culture – creating safe and equal workplaces where everyone can thrive. 
• Employee lifecycle – inclusivity throughout employee tenure including recruitment, onboarding and progression. 
• Inclusive language – encouraging employers to think ‘additively’ when referring to typically gendered areas of policy. Adding people in rather than taking anyone out.  
• Managing different views – recognising the right for people to hold and express different beliefs while drawing boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.  
• Supporting a transition at work – how to support colleagues through their individual journey.  
• Data management – ensuring privacy is paramount and that personal data is not shared unless there is explicit agreement or instruction. 

This guide can be used alongside our other resources on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).