The Press For Change Award for Equal Opportunities

Trans people congratulate employers who get it right

It’s time to recognise and praise good practice where it occurs … and to acknowledge the efforts which many employers are making to ensure that trans people can contribute to the success of their workplace.

It’s all too easy for those campaigning for rights to appear rather negative.  Where discrimination occurs, a lot of energy has to go into promoting awareness of the severe problems endured by those who face discrimination, and helping them to use the law and other methods to right injustice.  In the field of employment rights, where trans people have long been discriminated against, there have been all too many cases where only the law can achieve a just solution, as you can see from a quick read of our page on employment tribunal awards.

That why it’s important to stress repeatedly that Press For Change doesn’t seek conflict.  Where possible, we try to help and encourage people to negotiate fair and equitable solutions to problems arising in the workplace, and to create a situation where the employee can get back to work, the employer can get on with managing the business, and both parties feel that they have won.

But prevention is better than cure: the only thing better than a conflict amicably resolved is one which never happens in the first place!  So that’s why we ask employers to adopt equal opportunities policies which ensure that trans people know in advance they will be treated fairly … and so that all employees know that company policy is unequivocally committed to equal opportunities.

We want to recognise the good example set by employers who follow good practice.  So we are now launching an award to those employers who “offer quality and respect to trans people” — an acknowledgement by the trans community that we recognise and appreciate their commitment to high standards.

The Press For Change Award for Equal Opportunities will be offered to all employers who meet the following criteria:

• they must be nominated (or vouched for) by a trans employee;
• there must be no outstanding complaint against them by a trans employee or job applicant;
• they must explicitly include gender identity in their EO statement (it is not enough to say they mean it to be included in words like sex, gender or sexuality)
• they must formally (i.e. in writing) sign up to the Code of Practice for Employers endorsed by the Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism (published by PFC and available on this website, or in printed form by post from Press For Change, BM Network, London WC1N 3XX; copies cost £3.00 each, plus 50p p&p).

Employers who meet these criteria will receive a certificate from Press For Change in recognition of their commitment to, and their implementation of, good practice … and we will publicly acknowledge their commitment to equal opportunities, both by adding their names to a list on our website and in our printed materials, and by citing their excellent example in our dealings with the media and with government.

We know that other employers will also want to follow good practice, and to develop policies which protect trans employees … even if there are as yet no trans people on their payroll.  So we will also maintain a list of those employers whose policies meet our criteria, even if they have not yet been put to the test.

To qualify for this acknowledgement, employers must:

• must explicitly include gender identity in their EO statement (it is not enough to say they mean it to be included in words like sex, gender or sexuality)
• must formally (i.e. in writing) sign up to the Code of Practice for Employers endorsed by the Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism (published by PFC etc. etc.)

Do YOU know of an employer which meets these standards? If so, please let us know!  We want to acknowledge good practice where it occurs, but we need YOUR help to identify those who get it right.

So here’s what you can do :

• If YOUR employer hasn’t yet seen the Code of Practice, please get a copy and ask them to adopt it — or persuade them them to order a copy;
• Talk to your employer about formally adopting the Code of Practice … and please stress that Press For Change would love to be able to give them an award!  If they do adopt the Code of Practice, please let us know … by writing to Press For Change, BM Network, London WC1N 3XX, or by email to letters@pfc.org.uk
• Are you a member of a Trades Union? Please ensure that they too are aware of the guidelines, and ask them to persuade other employers to adopt the code.
• Think of the other bodies who you could persuade to adopt the Code of Practice, and qualify for an award.  If you’re paying a subscription to a voluntary organisation, such as the AA, RAC, National Trust, or any of the other bodies to which many of us contribute, why not ask them to ensure that YOUR money is being used to employ people with a proper equal opportunities policy?
• What about your local council? Councils are big employers … and your local councillor can help develop the council policies. Why not approach your councillor to ask her/him to persuade the Council to adopt the Code of Practice?