Within the context of the International Transgender Day of Visibility StepStone conducted a survey of transgender employees. The survey aims to build up a picture of the attitudes trans employees encounter in the workplace, the support they receive from HR departments and their thoughts and feelings about current employment legislation in Belgium.
Beginning of 2017 286 transgender employees participated in the StepStone survey ‘Trans at work’. The results and personal testimonials of the respondents are collected in a report of 25 pages.
The main results of the survey:
- More than one quarter (27%) have left a job because the environment was unwelcoming.
- 62% have experienced discrimination on the work floor.
- 2/3 (65%) state their employer has no provisions at all in place for trans employees.
- Half of the respondents have felt it necessary to hide their gender identity/expression hidden from colleagues at work
- 76% received positive reactions from colleagues when they transitioned.
- 64% rate their workplace performance as better since transitioning.
- 80% of French-speakers and 44% of Dutch-speakers think the government is making an insufficient effort to support transgender people.
* ‘Trans’ is used as an overarching term for transvestism, transgenderism, transsexuality and all other forms of gender variation. As the term does not refer to a problem or disorder, it avoids stigmatization and/or medicalization of the condition.