Useful Resources for Employers, Businesses and Others
To help you lawfully and fairly respond to the needs of your:
- Trans Employees,
- Trans Services Users and
- Trans customers
Identity and Personal Documentation: Online Help: click here
A ONLINE, FREE Resource for Employers, Businesses, Public Authorities, Banks, Universities, Retailers and others
The UK's Law on Changing Names, Pronouns and Identity: click here
For transsexual and transgender people who commence living permanently in their preferred gender role the changing of one’s documentation is a crucial part of the transition process. If they don't do this, some doctors will simply stop their treatment. It is an important committment to the changes ahead.
Changing a person’s name, their honorific (Mr, Mrs, Ms, or Miss) and gender pronouns (s/he, his, hers etc) can be relatively easy in this time of automated computerised systems, and there is every reason why the lawful change of name and pronouns for a trans person, in your records and face to face practice, should be extremely easy.
For over thirty years a whole range of institutions, including ALL Government Departments, have routinely changed people’s details includign name and pronouns on production of just 2 documents:
| 1. A doctor’s note saying the person is living in thier new gender becuase they are undergoing Gender Reassignment and the Change is meant to be Permanent, and 2. A formal change of name., normally a Statutory Declaration (An expensive Deed Poll is NOT required) |
This good, lawful custom and practice has existed for over 40 years, and can continue to exist but it requires institutions holding records of people’s names, their honorific and genders — their identity — to reflect on how best to afford dignity and respect for the Trans Person and to continue this established set of lawful conventions.
Institutions MUST STOP allowing staff to make up RULES that are simply not lawful. Too many junior staff are left to make decisions which, becuase of lack of experience and knowledge, can make the lives of trans people a living hell. |
Press for Change have written a GUIDE for employers and other institutions on how to reinstate this simple and lawful process which is necessary for trans people to continue their lives in peace, and with privacy.
Typical examples where names, honorifics and gender pronouns must be changed include:
BANKS: Bank records, letters, credit cards, account details, terms of address.
HEALTH SERVICES: Medical card, medical records, terms of address, placement on wards appropriate to new gender.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Tax and Social security records, national insurance contributions (other than secure gender marker), passports, driving licences [Criminal records cannot be changed, unless they are spent], incarceration placement in new gender facilities
SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: certificates of achievement, registration records, terms of address, school uniform to that of the new gender, residential placements to that of new gender
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS: terms of address
Making the Changes: What the Trans Person must do and what YOU must do
1. Trans people are advised to make a statutory declaration of their name change. This might or might not include details of their intending gender role change, but this is not required.
2. Where the person is transsexual and is undergoing gender reassignment, they are then advised to obtain a letter from their doctor in which the doctor confirms their gender role change and states that the change is intended to be permanent.
3. These documents, or copies of them, are then submitted to the institution wherein the change of records is to be made with proof of their former identity, with whatever fee is required to make these changes. Any fees should be in line with those normally charged for replacement documents.
4. On receipt of these documents, the institution concerned changes the trans persons records to record their new name and gender pronouns, and where relevant, the gender role marker – e.g. the ‘m’ or ‘f’ on documents.
5. The institution informs the trans person of the changes, and reissues relevant documents as required e.g. passport, driving licence, credit cards, bank books, certificates of qualifications, medical records.
6. Links may be maintained to former records, but these must be highlighted as secure and in need of review by senior staff before opening.