Difficult conditions for trans people in the Nordic labour market

The conference ”Improving Working Life for Trans People” was held as part of Sweden’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and was hosted by Paulina Brandberg, Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life.

“All people should have good working conditions and opportunities to develop at work regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This is an important issue for me and the government.

Paulina Brandberg, Sweden's Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, in conversation with  Aaron Kroon during the conference. He runs Black Batman, a business helping leaders, leadership groups and entire organisations to understand the link between diversity, inclusion, profitability and business value.  

"This Nordic conference creates opportunities for all of us to learn from each other with the aim of promoting trans people’s equal rights in working life,” said Paulina Brandberg as she opened the conference.

Much interest in a rarely prioritised group

Around 100 participants from across the Nordic region gathered to listen to the latest on trans people’s workplace experiences, an area where knowledge so far has been quite limited. A conference focusing on trans people and the labour market is also unusual.

Surveys are often made about the LBGQT community as a whole, but the report “Trans People’s Working Life Conditions in the Nordic Countries”, which formed the basis for the conference, shows that trans people are particularly vulnerable.

“There has been so little focus on this group whose members are often excluded from the labour market and the difficult conditions this creates.

"But the conference created a lot of interest and gathered employers, trade unions, researchers, politicians and representatives from civil society,” says Susanna Young Håkansson, the report’s author.

She is a researcher at the Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK), a cooperation body under the Nordic Council of Ministers. 

Susanna Young Håkansson is the author of the report on trans people's working conditions in the Nordic region.

Trans people are vulnerable in the labour market

The report gathers information on trans people’s situation in the labour market from all of the Nordic countries and Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. It shows that trans people are the most vulnerable in the LBGQT group. The situation is more or less the same across the Nordics but also elsewhere. 

Trans people as a group find it harder to enter the labour market, are more likely to be unemployed and are more often in insecure employment compared to other workers. As a result, many of them also struggle with a poorer economy and live in the lower income bracket.

“Ultimately, it’s about poverty, exclusion and a labour market that takes a lot of energy to navigate in and around. I had hoped things would be better in the Nordic region with our welfare systems.

“Sadly this is not the case. European statistics show that Sweden, for instance, is the EU country where most trans people have experienced some type of homelessness,” says Susanna Young Håkansson. 

So why do trans people face a more difficult situation than for instance gay people?

“Many are excluded early on because of rigid gender norms already in school. For some, this leads to isolation at an early age. This again makes it harder to enter the labour market, also for temporary jobs. 

“When it comes to gay people, there has been a lot of work done around norms and sexuality over a long period of time, and this has not happened to the norms governing gender. That’s why many face discrimination, threats and hate,” says Susanna Young Håkansson. 

Rigid norms for gender

She says there is a growing resistance to trans people’s rights. This was clearly seen during the American presidential election, where trans people became the subjects of misinformation that spread widely among the general population.

When this happens, the debating climate changes and becomes difficult for trans people. Susanna Young Håkansson quotes Edward Summanen who pointed out during the conference it is important to presume there is always a trans person present or someone whose close friend or family is trans. 

Many of the obstacles faced by trans people in and around working life are rooted in rigid norms about how men and women are supposed to behave, as well as narrow cis norms saying only two genders exist and that they are static.

“If you go against these ideas, you are punished by society. The consequences for a trans person living in a society where many are ignorant, prejudiced or in the worst case hostile towards trans people often negatively affects both working life and life outside of work in many different ways.”

Specific advice for a better workplace

During the conference, the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise, Mynak, presented its new guide “A Good Working Environment for LBGQT People, a Research-based Guide for the Workplace”.

“This offers specific advice for how a workplace can approach these issues and become a more inclusive workplace, which is good for both trans people and everyone else,” says Susanna Young Håkansson.

Edward Summanen and Mynak have created a guide for what a workplace can do when an employee is transitioning. Summanen is a social worker who has worked with trans people’s health and living conditions since 2008. 

Today he works at Transammans, the organisation for trans people and their families, where he mainly works with suicide prevention and mental health for trans people. He reflects on what is particularly important to create a good and safe working environment for trans people. 

Edward Summanen, holding the microphone,  is a social worker and gender expert who has worked with support and health issues for trans people since 2008. To his left is Sølve Storm, a psychologist specialising in gender and sexuality. To his right, the moderator Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir.

“Overall, it’s about fostering a respectful dialogue where no jokes are at the expense of any group, and people refrain from airing their personal opinions that contradict the idea that everyone is of equal worth.

“Many also feel safer when they don’t have to feel lonely. This could be about others standing up for your rights, or correct colleagues who use the wrong pronouns. It makes a big difference.” says Edward Summanen. 

The importance of leadership

He sums up the leader’s role. If a person is going through gender-affirming care, it is important to know that this process takes years. In such cases, it could be necessary for the leader to check with the individual to discuss how the workplace can offer support and how things can be communicated within the organisation.

When someone changes their name, there should be routines in place to quickly update email addresses and other administrative functions. 

“For many it is difficult to have to see their old first names. You might even be ‘outed’ if new colleagues have joined and the old name pops up in documentation. This is a violation of integrity, says Edward Summanen.

He also recommends that leaders prioritise employee training and dedicate enough time for equality work. Additionally, he believes that unions and workplace safety representatives may need further training in equality work with a focus on gender identity and gender expression, to guide employees effectively and understand the demands that can be made.

“Overall, leaders have an important role in setting the norms. The clearer the support from a leader, using the correct pronoun and so on, the quicker it has an impact.

"I also believe that all workplaces should assume that there are employees who have trans experiences, whether they are open about it or not. This often contributes to a better dialogue and atmosphere,” says Edward Summanen. 

He is happy that the conference highlighted the problems that trans people face in the labour market.

“The NIKK conference did a fantastic job showing the breadth of this issue. First the challenges in finding a job, then securing safe employment and equal pay as a trans person.

“The conference also showed how incredibly varied the experiences are when it comes to trans people’s work environments. Some experience harassment, while others receive support and thrive, feeling very comfortable," says Edward Summanen.

Susanna Young Håkansson sees the need for further studies. What is the situation for trans people with immigrant backgrounds, for instance, or for those with disabilities?

“Much more work has been done on this in other countries and in the EU than in the Nordics,” she says.

We need more Nordic knowledge to be able to improve working conditions, which are always closely linked to living conditions, for all trans people in the Nordic region.