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Gender Affirmation Policy

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Gender Affirmation Policy

At Future Group we want to create a workplace that is full of diverse and wonderful people who can bring their whole selves to work. We want our workplace environment and culture to be a place where everyone feels safe, has a sense of belonging and is able to do their best work.

We believe that creating a society that is inclusive and equitable is everyone’s business and, as an employer, FG has an opportunity to practice real allyship for Transgender and Gender Diverse people. 

This policy outlines how FG will support Transgender and Gender Diverse employees, including the support available to assist employees through the journey of Gender Affirmation. This policy also outlines the expected behaviour of every FG employee in supporting their Transgender and Gender Diverse colleagues.

As always, we love input - without it, our policies are less effective. Take a few minutes, ask questions, and give us feedback. 

Background

FG has a big mission; to harness the power of super to build a future without climate change or inequality. To accomplish this huge goal, we need to have a workforce that is full of great people, and a workplace where these people can do their best work. Research consistently demonstrates that having a diverse and inclusive workplace leads to greater employee performance, wellbeing, engagement and retention. Similarly, having a workforce that has a diverse range of backgrounds and life experiences that is representative of society (and our members!) makes our work stronger, more innovative and relevant.

To attract and retain a diverse range of people to work with us on our mission, we need to do our bit to remove the barriers to employment that marginalised groups face, and ensure that our workplace is an inclusive and safe environment for all people to be themselves.

Transgender and Gender Diverse people are one such group that currently face marginalisation within society, due to binary notions of sex and gender. It is important to note that this has not always been the case, with Transgender and Gender Diverse individuals being valued members of different Indigenous cultures since time began, including in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. 

Barriers to Inclusion for Transgender and Gender Diverse Employees
Trigger Warning: Broad discussion of discrimination and abuse, barriers to healthcare and employment

Transgender and Gender Diverse people currently experience discrimination, a lack of acceptance, stigma and abuse from broader society, resulting in worse mental health than the general population and barriers to employment and health care.  

Not all Transgender and Gender Diverse people undertake gender affirmation steps (also known as transitioning) but for many it can be an important part of their overall wellbeing. Undertaking gender affirmation steps can result in additional barriers to employment and health care. 

This is because the gender affirmation process requires a great deal of financial, physical and psychological support, as well as other resources. Workplaces are not always prepared to accommodate for it, including allowing employees to take necessary leave for gender affirmation steps. Undertaking a gender affirmation process can therefore have a negative impact on Transgender and Gender Diverse people’s employment. We want to make sure that we are a workplace where  people can undertake a gender affirmation process if they wish to do so without significant impact on their employment. We also want to ensure that Transgender and Gender Diverse people feel supported in their journey and can bring their best selves to work. 

A significant barrier many Transgender and Gender Diverse people face when planning to undertake gender affirmation is the financial barrier to necessary health care. Gender affirming surgery costs may run anywhere from AUD20,000 to more than AUD100,000. This does not include other costs which are a prerequisite for undergoing surgery, such as having to receive referrals from mental health professionals. Other expenses that may apply to gender affirmation include payments for hormones, clothing or legal services. These costs are already overwhelmingly prohibitive, but are even more so when considering rates of unemployment and under-employment in the TGD community.  This means that despite clear research that TGD people being able to affirm their gender is key to their overall health and wellbeing, many are not able to access gender affirming procedures.

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline Future Group’s support for Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) employees, to ensure a diverse and inclusive workplace, where all people can be their whole selves at work.

This includes outlining the support available to assist TGD employees who are undertaking gender affirmation steps and outlining the expected behaviours of every Future Group employee, director and independent contractors in supporting their Transgender and Gender Diverse colleagues.

2.0 Scope

This policy applies to all Future Group employees whose gender identity sits under the Transgender and Gender Diverse umbrella term. It also outlines expected behaviour from all Future Group employees, directors, and independent contractors.

3.0 Support

3.1 Support available for Transgender and Gender Diverse Staff

We understand that every person’s gender affirmation or transition journey will be unique to them and what level of support they would like from their workplace will also vary. With this in mind, we wanted to outline what support is available to an employee undergoing gender affirmation if they would like to engage with some or all of the process. The role of Future Group during an employee’s gender affirmation process will be led and informed by the TGD employee.

Initially, we encourage the person looking to affirm their gender (or a chosen, trusted representative) to speak with their manager and/or the People and Sustainability team to commence support. They may also wish to speak with a support team member from Sonder (our employee wellness partner).

3.2 Gender Affirmation Workplace Plan

In collaboration with the TGD person, their leader and People and Sustainability, a Gender Affirmation Workplace Plan can be created to help facilitate gender affirmation in the workplace.

This plan can include:

  • Details of key support team and ongoing support meetings;

  • Anticipated timeframes for gender affirmation;

  • Leave plans and flexible work arrangements;

  • Details of communication to relevant teams and stakeholders;

  • Details of Training/Education/Awareness program for other staff ;

  • Details of an event to meet team in affirmed gender and;

  • Expectations and timeframes in relation to internal and tech system changes (such as gender and name).

4.0 Gender Affirmation Leave and Flexible Working Arrangements

With the recognition that each gender affirmation journey will look different, an employee undertaking gender affirmation will have the below leave and/or flexible working options available to them as needed for the purpose of affirming their gender.

This time or flexibility could be used for a variety of reasons, including for attending medical or legal appointments, recovering from medical procedures, changing dress or appearance, attending counselling or implementing other aspects of their workplace plan. The below leave and flexible work arrangements are available to staff upon commencement of their employment with Future Group, with no minimum service requirement in order to be eligible.

4.1 Gender Affirmation Leave

Future Group will provide permanent, full-time employees with up to 30 days (pro-rated for part-time employees) paid Gender Affirmation Leave in the event they are unable to perform their work duties because they are undergoing any aspect of a gender affirmation process.

As with personal leave, any unused Gender Affirmation Leave will not be paid out upon an employee’s departure from Future Group. Future Group will also provide up to 12 months’ unpaid Gender Affirmation Leave for any permanent employee undergoing any aspect of a gender affirmation process.

4.2 Flexible Working Arrangements

Future Group will work with the TGD employee to discuss what (if any) flexible working arrangements may be required while they undergo a gender affirmation process. Options include, but are not limited to:

  • The possibility of working from home;

  • The possibility of working altered hours (e.g. starting earlier or later);

  • The possibility of taking paid Gender Affirmation Leave;

  • The possibility of taking unpaid Gender Affirmation Leave;

5.0 Responsibilities

5.1 Management Responsibilities

Directors, Managers and Supervisors are responsible for:

  • Modelling appropriate standards of behaviour;

  • Taking steps to educate and make their team and team members aware of this policy and other awareness raising activities regarding TGD people;

  • Being supportive, open-minded and honest with any employee undergoing a gender affirmation process when you are preparing a workplace plan together;

  • Reaffirming a person’s right to use the bathroom/facility of their choice;

  • Intervening quickly and appropriately when they become aware of behaviour that contravenes our standards of behaviour;

  • Acting fairly to resolve issues and enforce workplace behavioural standards, making sure relevant parties are heard and afforded procedural fairness;

  • Ensuring that recruitment decisions are based on merit;

  • Genuinely consider all requests for flexible work arrangements.

5.2 Team Member Responsibilities

All Future Group Team Members are responsible for:

  • Completing the LGBTQ Introduction eLearning session as part of their onboarding process.

  • Being sensitive and respectful of anyone who is affirming their gender and treating everybody with dignity, kindness and respect.

  • Not disclosing someone’s TGD identity without their consent; this is considered ‘outing’ someone and can be detrimental to their wellbeing and safety. Information should only be disclosed to those who need to know, are involved in the process, or have the consent of the person who is affirming their gender.

  • Encouraging others to use correct pronouns. If you use the wrong pronoun, correct yourself and move on. Consider adding your pronouns to your email signature, Slack, Zoom and any other online communication tool we use at Future Group. This reinforces our culture where people of all genders feel safe and included.

  • Someone affirming their gender may choose to use the bathroom or other gendered facilities that affirm their gender, which can sometimes be difficult to navigate. If you can be there as a buddy, feel free to accompany someone, with their permission.

  • If someone does or says something disrespectful, make sure you call it out in the moment (if you feel comfortable and safe to do so), and speak to your leader or anyone in the People and Sustainability Team. We have zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment or bullying. Proactively educate yourself by attending and engaging with training provided by the business, accessing resources provided by the business, and seeking out additional resources to further your own education and understanding.

  • Respecting boundaries. Do not ask intrusive or intimate personal questions that you wouldn’t ask another person or wouldn’t want others to ask of you (for example, about their body, relationships, sex life or any medical intervention). If you feel it is appropriate to ask a personal question, check first if it is okay to do so.

5.3 Leader Responsibilities

People leaders at Future Group are responsible for:

  • Responding appropriately to allegations of discrimination, harassment or bullying related to team members;

  • Understanding and communicating the support available to TGD Team Member’s in accordance with this policy; and

  • Taking all reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of a TGD Team Member as they move through their Gender Affirmation/Transition journey.

6.0 Definitions

Future Group Team Member refers to all Future Group employees (fixed-term, permanent or casual) and independent contractors.

Gender affirmation or transitioning refers to the process of a person who may take social steps (such as publicly changing their name, pronouns and appearance), medical steps (such as hormones, and/or surgery) and/or legal steps (changing their legal gender marker and name in official documents) to live as their defined gender(s), based on what is right for them. Gender affirmation is not a single action, but a journey that can occur over a long period of time.

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) people is a term that describes people whose gender differs from what was assigned or presumed for them at birth. It is an umbrella term that covers a large range of genders such as being non-binary, genderqueer, a Sistergirl or Brotherboy, genderfluid, transgender, and more.

7.0 Policy Breaches

Non-compliance with this policy may result in disciplinary action (up to and including the termination of employment).To the extent that this policy imposes and obligation on Future Group, it does not form a contractual term, condition or representation.

8.0 Related Policy Documents and Supporting Documents

Policies and Guidelines

We encourage you to read and consider this policy in conjunction with other relevant Future Group policies and resources, including:

  • Code of Conduct

  • Workplace Health and Safety Policy

  • Equal Opportunity & Anti-Harassment Policy

  • Anti-Bullying Policy

  • Glossary of Terms

  • Sonder

Forms

  • Gender Affirmation Workplace Plan Template

Other Relevant Documents

We would like to acknowledge that this policy was created using Trans Hub’s Gender Affirmation Policy and Guidelines Template. We would also like to acknowledge the following institutions and organisations, whose own existing guidelines and policies were used as starting points and reference for the creation of this policy: 

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