Knowledge about trans people’s working life conditions from Norway and Iceland

Norway and Iceland are not included in the EU LGBTIQ Survey. However, knowledge about trans people’s working life conditions in these countries has been produced in recent years. In this section, two reports are summarised briefly. The full reports are only available in Norwegian and Icelandic.

The report “Jeg vil ikke ha oppmerksomhet, men jeg vil ikke være usynlig” (I don’t want attention, but I don’t want to be invisible) investigates the experiences of trans people and people with gender incongruence in working life (Lundberg et al., 2024). The study maps experiences of openness, transition, discrimination and challenges and measures for inclusion among employers. It is based on interviews with trans people, HR staff, managers, and union representatives, who all work in the area of state agreement. The Labour Research Institute and the Department of Social Sciences at OsloMet produced the report on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (KDD).

The study shows that openness in the workplace can both be a source of support and present a risk of discrimination. Many informants chose to be open for their own mental health, feeling that this was their only choice, but the timing and way in which they came out at work varied. In some cases, supportive managers and colleagues facilitated the process, while some informants were met with silence or negative reactions. Several informants reported harassment and a lack of understanding from managers and colleagues, including repeated use of the incorrect pronouns and intrusive questions about medical treatment and sexuality. The lack of gender-neutral toilets was also a problem.

Managers and HR staff often felt uncertain about how to handle trans issues in the workplace. Many were afraid of saying the wrong thing and therefore chose silence, which in itself can be exclusionary. At the same time, the study showed that employers who dared to ask questions and have an open dialogue were seen positively by their employees.

Another key issue was the boundary between work life and private life, especially for trans people who regularly met external people in their professional roles. For some, their trans identity could be a resource, for example in meetings with people with similar life experiences. At the same time, public debate about trans people and minority stress could negatively affect the work environment. The study emphasises the importance of clear guidelines and active support from employers to create a safe and inclusive workplace.

The Icelandic report Hinsegin fólk á vinnumarkaði (Queer people in the labour market) examines the situation for LGBTI people in the labour market (Zoega, 2023). It was produced by Statistics Iceland and the University of Iceland on behalf of BHM, an Icelandic trade union for academics. The report, which is based on a survey, found that 70% of the trans people in the study had been unemployed at some point in their careers, compared to 42% of cisgender LGB people. The report also examined the pay of trans people based on tax returns. It shows that the pay of trans women is on average significantly lower than those of LGB cisgender people, who were also surveyed. The number of respondents who identified as trans men was deemed too small to be included in the results.

The study also found that the trans and the LGB people surveyed were unlikely to hold management positions in the labour market. Two per cent of the trans people in the study held some type of management position, compared to four per cent of LGB people. Many of the LGBTI respondents stated that they were not fully open about their gender identity or sexuality at work, and this was particularly true for trans people, with only 36% stating that they were open about their trans identity at work. Among those who were open, many experienced that their colleagues overemphasised their queerness and/or gender identity. The majority of respondents said that they experienced various forms of micro aggressions at work. A common experience was that their managers and colleagues expected them to be experts in LGBTI issues.

Recommendations for employers

Provide competence-raising courses to increase the knowledge of managers, HR representatives, deputies, and safety representatives about trans people and people with gender incongruence. In particular, the study shows a need for expertise on transitioning.
Ensure follow-ups for trans people and people with gender incongruence that is oriented around the individual, flexible and conducted on the individual’s terms.
Develop trust-based diversity management to give trans people and people with gender incongruence the courage to talk and be open when they want and need.
Promote gender-neutral changing rooms/toilets/uniforms.
Ensure correct use of personal pronouns.
Raise awareness among managers, HR representatives, deputies, and safety representatives about the polarised and sometimes offensive public debate about trans people and people with gender incongruence, which can also affect the work environment.

Source Jeg vil ikke ha oppmerksomhet, men jeg vil ikke være usynlig (I don’t want attention, but I don’t want to be invisible).