By: Kristin Nealey Meier
Bruce Jenner's 20/20 interview not only scored 16.9 million viewers, giving the ABC network its highest ratings in years, but it also started a national conversation about what a transgender person looks like. No longer an oddity, Jenner's revelations about his plans to transition to the female gender put a human face on what had been up to that point a rare appearance. Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover continued this conversation. We all now realize we probably know someone who if not already transitioning to the opposite gender, may now have the courage to do so.
Employers work hard to comply with the law and treat their employees fairly and with respect. Not all employers, however, know how to respectfully and lawfully treat transgender individuals. According to The Injustice at Every Turn survey, conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 25 percent of transgender individuals reported losing a job because they did not conform to gender norms. A staggering 90 percent said they faced some form of transgender-based discrimination.
There is no federal statute that explicitly bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, although the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which Congress has proposed since 1994, would include these categories in current antidiscrimination laws. President Obama issued a 2014 Executive Order banning federal employers and federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on gender identity. Attorney General Eric Holder announced in December 2015 that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- the law prohibiting employment discrimination -- included gender identity as part of its prohibition of discrimination based on sex.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") has tried to fill in the gap left by federal law by ruling in several cases that discrimination on the basis of gender identity is sexual discrimination under current federal discrimination law. Most commentators believe that federal courts will follow suit and create federal case law prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Today 18 states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting discrimination against all workers because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Six other states protect only state workers from such discrimination. Because federal law and some state laws prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, it is important for employers to understand their obligations and how to treat transgender applicants and employees.
There is some help for employers in setting policies that will treat transgender applicants and employees respectfully and lawfully. For example, Washington State's Human Rights Commission is ahead of the curve in providing official guidance to employers and can be a useful guide to employers across the country. This guidance is helpful for employers in any state to ensure compliance with the law and transgender employees' rights. Below are some tips that will help guide employers with employees in gender transition.
- Employers should permit employees to dress in a way that is consistent with their gender identity or expression, while complying with dress codes and grooming standards.
In all cases, employers should ensure their workplace is a safe and dignified environment for transgender individuals. Such a culture starts with management's commitment to equality.
Kristin Nealey Meier is an attorney at Seattle-based Ryan Swanson & Cleveland. Reach her at 206.654.2293 or kmeier@ryanlaw.com.