Laura Maechtlen Quoted in BNA Human Resources Report
“Transgender Employees: State Laws, Court Ruling on Transgender Bias Signal Employers to Address Issues”

Employment partner and firm Diversity Action Team Executive Committee member Laura Maechtlen was quoted extensively in an article appearing in BNA Human Resources Report on December 26. According to the article, even though there is no federal statue prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on gender identity or expression, the District of Columbia and 16 states have enacted laws banning employment discrimination based on gender identity. Therefore, it is vital that employers take note.

Laura advises companies to add the full phrase “gender identity and expression” to anti-discrimination policies, and to ensure that all their company policies—hiring, promoting, training, and retention—include this protected class. “Sometimes people just change one policy and not the others,” which is insufficient, she said. She also advised including gender identity in regular harassment training.

If an employee is in the middle of a gender transition, Laura recommends that HR be careful in how assistance is offered. It is important not to approach the employee in a public way and not to ask personal questions. A possible script might begin with “We've noticed some changes and we have resources for you if that's something you want to avail yourself of,” she suggests.