Gender transition in the workplace: An occupational therapy perspective

BACKGROUND: This narrative review aims to describe the experiences of transgender people transitioning in their place of work. There are over 10,000 transgender individuals living and working in the UK. Currently there is limited research investigating the experience of changing gender in the workplace from an occupational perspective; considering activities of daily living and support currently offered to aid this transition. METHOD: Quantitative and qualitative articles published from 2002-2013 were sourced using electronic databases, via email from the authors and from hand searches. Articles were included if they discussed the experiences of transgender people transitioning from one gender to another while in employment, pursuing a new career path or seeking work. Articles were excluded if they used generalisations from LGBT studies. RESULTS: The findings show that successful transitioning in the workplace is a complex process requiring social and managerial support, environmental adaptation, legal guidelines, and a re-construction of how 'gendered occupations', such as self-care and job roles are carried out according to the social construction of the gender binary. CONCLUSION: Future research is warranted on the occupational experiences of transgender people in employment. When considering the 'gendered occupations', changes in activities of daily living during transition, and the social/environmental adaptations required by all parties it is evident that an occupational perspective, such as that used by an Occupational Therapist, would be highly beneficial within this specialised area of vocational rehabilitation.