If an employee has declared they are transgender it is probably because they want you to be confident with them and for them to be confident with you. Often people misunderstand what transgender means, thinking that the term refers to a person who is going through gender change from male to female or vice versa.

In fact, transgender is the state of one’s gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching one’s assigned sex (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex). Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may be heterosexual, lesbian/gay, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual and some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them.

Top tips:

If the employee’s name does not conform to your interpretation of their gender identity (example: you meet a male called Stephanie) and you feel you need to ask any questions about this, then it is vitally important that you do so as tactfully as possible. The employee has their own individual identity, and it is right that you should respect that identity.

Do not allow the fact that the employee is (or may be) transgender to distract you from ensuring they realize their potential at work and do not make any assumptions about the sort of employment they will be suited to.

Most of all, be yourself and allow the employee to be themselves too. If you are confident and comfortable, they will be as well and will perform at their best and enjoy the work environment.