<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: What makes a good gender inclusion policy?
summary:
tags:
category: Diversity, inclusion and accessibility
---

Policies vary for externals, e.g. grant holders

The policy is less important than the questions you ask to get there
Writing the policy is the important bit!@
No easy answers

--

# What does a good gender inclusion policy look like?

Every year Stonewall report about LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplace
Wellcome was dinged by Stonewall for trans inclusion – or lack, thereof
several people have expressed surprise that we don’t have a policy
LGBTQ+ Network + D&I team is taking steps to remedy!
A week ago, I put up a tweet asking:

(( tweet ))

I have a few trans friends, thought they might have some suggestions
I got an overwhelming response – dozens of people reached out to suggest policies, offer help
incredibly grateful
in this post, going to explain the common themes/trends

note: written from a uk focus
my impression is that the US is a bit further along in this regard, but don’t know detail

## Why have a policy?

Table stakes for this post:
* Trans people exist, everyone has a right to self-identity as chosen gender, to be treated with respect and dignity

SO not about value of inclusion, but about having a policy specifically? Why write one proactively? Why not wait until you have a trans employee? (Or at least one who’s visibly trans)

These questions all apply to any sort of inclusion policy, not just gender — also race, religion, disability, and so on.

* Establish consistent, best practices
* Set expectations for how somebody will eb treated
* Feel safer at work

## Why have your own policy?

Policy is a statement of an org’s values
If you just copy somebody else’s, may not fit – values may be different

also different orgs have different policy styles

e.g. one big corp (10k+) had a very detailed policy
lists and tables and every eventuality covered

wellcome policies tend to be more light touch – lay out broad principles, and specific details only written as they’re decided

(think statutory law vs case law)

Provide appropriate support + respect
Privacy and confidentiality
gender diverse working environment

## What questions do you need to ask?

* statement of high-level values
	* assume open and respectful discussion
	* acknowledge that trans is a multi-step process, different definitions – not necessarily medical intervention, not always possible, doesn’t invalidate; social/medical/legal transition
	* individual process
	* not just binary

* recognise that a policy is for different people
	* somebody who is trans or transitioning
	* people who work with them – managers, coworkers
	* external people – clients, customers, members of the public
	* organisational systems – HR, administration

* does everybody know the appropriate terminology?
	* terms like “cis”, “trans” and “non-binary”, “gender identity”
	* a lot of trans people will know these terms, but there will be people who’ve never had to think about trans issues before<commit_msg>First stab at an introduction<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: What makes a good gender inclusion policy?
summary:
tags:
category: Diversity, inclusion and accessibility
---

Policies vary for externals, e.g. grant holders

The policy is less important than the questions you ask to get there
Writing the policy is the important bit!@
No easy answers

--

At Wellcome, we have an LGBTQ+ staff network, which aims to support and celebrate our LGBTQ+ employees.
This year, the network is focusing on making the organisation more supportive and inclusive for trans people.
Lack of trans inclusion was one of the criticisms in last year's Stonewall [Workplace Equality Index], and some of us at Wellcome could be doing more to support our trans colleagues.

One aspect of that is having a gender inclusion policy, that affirms our commitment to supporting and respecting our trans staff.
Right now, Wellcome doesn't have any policies about this, and several people have expressed surprise that one doesn't exist yet!
Together with the dedicated [Diversity and Inclusion team], we're trying to fix that.

I know some trans people, and I thought they might have some ideas, so I put up this tweet a week ago:

[Workplace Equality Index]: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/uk-workplace-equality-index
[Diversity and Inclusion team]: https://wellcome.ac.uk/what-we-do/our-work/diversity-and-inclusion

{% tweet https://twitter.com/alexwlchan/status/1126802445517099008 %}

I expected a handful of replies -- I was pleasantly surprised.

Dozens of people reached out with suggestions, pointing me to policies at their own companies or others, and giving me lots of material to read.
I'm incredibly grateful to everybody who sent me a message.
In this post, I'm going to go through some of the common themes I spotted.



reading a variety of orgs was v useful
e.g. public-facing roles


<!--
## Why have a policy at all?

A policy is a statement that defines an organisation's values.
It establishes a clear, consistent baseline for acceptable behaviour, with no grey areas.
It sets expectations for how you should be treated at work.

If you're part of a minority group that often comes in for harassment or abuse -- whether that's for gender, race, disability, or something else -- a policy tells you how you can expect to be treated.
You're not relying on the individual interpretations of your team or manager, which might be unclear or unfriendly.

If there's a trans person in your workplace who isn't out yet, a good policy means they know the organisation will look after them.
And if they do face harassment or abuse after coming out, they have a way to deal with it.

A policy is also a visible commitment to treating people with dignity and respect.



## Why write your own policy?

A policy is a statement of an organisation's values.
If you just copy somebody else's policy, it may not fit -- their values may be different to yours.

And every organisation is different.
You'll have scenarios to consider that aren't relevant in other organisations, and only you can decide what to do.



## How do you write a policy?

You can't just copy somebody else's policy -- their values may be different to yours, and the decisions won't fit.

A friend of mine, Gemma, says, "The policy is less important than the questions you ask to get there". -->




## How do you write a policy?

Writing a good policy is about asking questions.
What scenarios might somebody face?
How do we handle those as an organisation?
How do we respond?
Every organisation will have different scenarios, and different answers -- you can't just copy somebody else's work wholesale.

Most of the policies I read


---

But while specific scenarios may differ, there is a lot of overlap.
These are some of the common themes, listed as questions you'll need to answer:

*   What's the goal of the policy?

    I saw lots of overlap in the policies I

---

Every policy I read had pretty similar goals:

*   Provide appropriate support to trans employees
*   Guarantee privacy and confidentiality
*   Encourage a gender diverse working environment

---

* statement of high-level values
	* assume open and respectful discussion
	* acknowledge that trans is a multi-step process, different definitions – not necessarily medical intervention, not always possible, doesn’t invalidate; social/medical/legal transition
	* individual process
	* not just binary

* recognise that a policy is for different people
	* somebody who is trans or transitioning
	* people who work with them – managers, coworkers
	* external people – clients, customers, members of the public
	* organisational systems – HR, administration

* does everybody know the appropriate terminology?
	* terms like “cis”, “trans” and “non-binary”, “gender identity”
	* a lot of trans people will know these terms, but there will be people who’ve never had to think about trans issues before
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