Practical issues

Staff and students have the right to share or not share aspects of their identity as they wish. A person’s trans history is confidential, and should not be shared without their consent, either verbally or by way of records that could indicate a person’s trans history.

Where records might indicate the possibility of a person’s trans history, for example, a known-as name is provided on records that indicates a different gender to someone’s recorded name or legal name, staff and students should make an informed choice about what information they share, how it will appear on university systems, and who might view that information. See the sections on changing your name with and without documentation for more information.

Students and staff should refer to other people, including trans people, using their chosen name and personal pronouns. Deliberately using the wrong gender pronoun or the birth name of a trans person, known as mis-gendering or dead-naming, may constitute harassment, as defined in the University’s Dignity at Work and Study: Policy and Procedures (PDF , 288kb)

You can add pronouns to web pages that display your contact details, such as your departmental web pages, and also to your email signature. The Equality and Diversity Office also holds pronoun stickers that you can add to your staff or student card - contact equality@york.ac.uk if you want some stickers for yourself or your department.

Where university systems have the functionality to record pronouns, staff and students may choose to add their personal pronouns if they wish to. Where functionality does not allow this, the University will seek to add that functionality where possible.

For more information on using pronouns, see our guide to using and displaying personal pronouns.

The University supports the right of all staff to use facilities that align with their gender identity, such as changing areas and toilets. Single-gender toilets are available in most buildings, and are generally easy to locate and well-signed. All gender (gender-neutral) facilities are available in many areas of campus, and can easily be searched on the Campus Map. Further information, including how to search the Campus Map, is available on our Facilities and Inclusive Facilities web pages. Please be aware that the availability, location, and gender designation of toilets and other facilities changes over time, and may not always show immediately on the campus map.

Staff are asked to provide equality monitoring information when they join the University through the MyView portal - see the Equality monitoring for staff webpage for information on why we collect this data, what we do with it, and how you can update yours.

As with all monitored characteristics (such as sex, religion, sexual orientation, and disability), staff are not under any obligation to provide equality monitoring information, and where they choose to provide information there is always an option within each question to indicate that you prefer not to answer.

In many cases there are also options to self-define or choose “other” if none of the available options are suitable. The University reviews its equality monitoring options in response to national guidance (for example, AdvanceHE and HESA), legislation, and feedback from staff and students.

Trans Action Plans are available to both staff and students who would like to access support with transitioning. These are optional, and individuals may access all avenues of support without completing an Action Plan if they wish.

Action Plans are designed to help navigate university systems and processes, such as changing names on university systems, or taking time away from work or study.  

Changing your name with or without documentation will affect what details are stored in University systems, and who can see them. If you change your name with documentation, it will be possible to change your name on all University systems. If you change it without documentation, some of your original details will be visible to staff who access certain systems.

Changing your name without documentation

You will be able to change your name on many University systems without any legal documentation, for example, your:

• staff card
• email address
• staff directory entry
• information about you that appears on web pages 

You can change your name and title via MyView. This allows you to change your title, known-as name, known-as surname, and previous name. You do not need any documentation to change these details. There are a range of optional titles, including Mx.

MyView automatically populates the Staff Directory and the People Database. Your updated title and name will also show on any lecture and seminar timetables you appear on.

The Staff Directory is viewable by all staff and students at the University. It will only display staff’s known-as details, as recorded in MyView. So your officially recorded (legal) name will not be displayed or visible to others.

The People Database is not generally accessible to all staff, but is accessible to library customer services staff, some IT Services staff, and selected teams across the University who need to access those systems for a variety of reasons, including, for example, password resets.

The People Database contains both your official (legal) name, your known-as first name, and your known-as surname. This could imply a trans history where your official name differs from your known-as name. The only way to avoid this is to change your official name (legally, with documentation). 

HR Systems: Staff with access to HR systems (including Payroll, Pensions, and HR) will be able to see your legal name as well as your known-as names. This could imply your trans history or status. As with the People Database, the only way to avoid this is to change your official name (legally, with documentation). In this case, an audit log would remain of implemented changes, inaccessible except to limited members of staff.

Changing your name and gender with documentation

The University has a legal obligation to use people’s official (legal) name for certain purposes, for example, Pensions and Payroll. The HR system communicates with Payroll, which links with HMRC and pensions, so the data on the HR system needs to match data on HMRC and pension systems. For these reasons, changes to legal names need to be made with supporting documentation.

To change your legally recorded name, gender, and associated records, please contact Information Governance via dataprotection@york.ac.uk in the first instance. 

This will enable you to request changes in a confidential way, without having to divulge your trans identity or history unnecessarily to a wider range of staff. If you wish to contact any services directly yourself via their general email address (provided), you may do so, but please be aware that your email will go to a team inbox, not to an individual, and may be seen by a large team of staff.

Once you have spoken to Information Governance, and decided what records you wish to change, you will need to supply original documentation to change your details (not photocopies). Documentation includes statutory declaration, deed poll, marriage certificate, Decree Absolute, or birth certificate. Information about changing your name formally can be found on the Gov.uk website. You can also find information on HMRC’s web pages about changing your name and gender for National Insurance and State Pension purposes. General information on the types of evidence that are accepted can be found in the University’s policy on changes to student names (which contains information about acceptable documentation that may also be helpful to staff).

Your details will then be updated in ResourceLink, the University system that records all staff details for employment purposes. Details updated on ResourceLink will automatically notify payroll, update MyView, and update the Staff Directory and the People Database. Updating your formal (legal) name will only update your forename and surname fields in MyView, it will not update the field containing your known as name. If you have previously set a known as name in MyView, you will need to update that too (which you can do yourself by logging into MyView).

Only your new name and any new known-as names will show in University systems. No one will be able to see your previous name/s on active University systems. A record of the change will be kept confidentially by HR. Please see the Records section for more information.

If you have any problems with your email address displaying incorrectly with your previous name, IT Services can help to resolve this (see the section on IT Systems - email and Staff Directory).

There is a different process to change your name on your pension records, depending on which scheme you are a member of. 

The University of York Pension Fund / USS / NHS Pensions

Contact the University’s Pensions Team via pensions@york.ac.uk. You will need to supply original documentation (not photocopies) as outlined above to change your details. If you have previously set a known as name, you will need to ensure that it is updated too (this can be done yourself through MyView, as outlined in the section titled “Changing your name and gender with documentation”).

The People’s Pension

To change your name (including title), you'll need to send The People’s Pension a copy of a document that confirms your identity. 'List A' has examples of what The People’s Pension needs. Please note that the University’s Pensions Team cannot change your name with The People’s Pension on your behalf.

You can scan and send the document to confirm your identity to info@thepeoplespension.co.uk, though please note this isn't considered a secure way of sending information.

Or, you can send this by post. Their address is:

The People's Pension
Manor Royal
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 9QP

If you are sending the original document, it is recommended that you use a form of tracked post although you should note that The People’s Pension does not require the original documents.

In this email or letter, you’ll need to include a brief explanation as to why you’re sending the document and what you’d like your details to be changed to. You should also request any original documents to be returned to you.

Where requested, the University will remove all references to your previous gender and identity wherever possible. Formal record changes should be requested through the Information Governance team via dataprotection@york.ac.uk.

If you wish, you may contact individual teams directly for record changes using their general email addresses (such as IT Services, or HR) but please be aware that your email will go to a team inbox, not to an individual. Contacting Data Protection offers a more confidential route to changing your details as they are a very small team, all of whom would be involved in processing your requests.

A record that your name and/or gender has been changed will be kept by HR, but that information will be kept confidential and separate from your current record, so will not be visible to anyone viewing your current record. Only staff who process your name change or who have audit access to HR records will have access to your previously recorded name and any legal documentation supplied. A record of name change will be retained in the Pensions system, and only accessible to relevant staff.

No information about your transition will be shared with anyone in the University without your consent. Sharing information about trans status without consent could be a form of harassment, and may be a criminal offence if you have a Gender Recognition Certificate or have applied for one (see Section 22 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, or information from Galop).

To change your name in the staff directory, see the section on changing your name and title.

You can also find Information on how to change your email address and your name in the staff directory on the University’s how to change your name on your University account web page, but please be aware that the information on that page is generic and directs staff towards teams and team email addresses, not directly to individuals. This could mean that a wider group of staff will be aware of your gender identity or history than you wish. For formal, legal name and gender changes only, Information Governance, via dataprotection@york.ac.uk, offers a confidential route to changing such details.

If you are happy to contact teams directly via team email addresses, and are aware requests will be picked up by teams rather than individuals, key contacts are listed below:

• IT Services, for issues connected to email, staff directory, or account details: itsupport@york.ac.uk 
• HR for HR records: hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk 
• The Equality and Diversity Office: equality@york.ac.uk if you have any questions or encounter any issues that you want help with.

Staff cards allow staff identification as well as access to University facilities, buildings, and rooms. 

Staff who wish to change their staff card to reflect a formal, legal name change (with documentation) due to gender reassignment, and want a confidential route to request this (rather than requesting through the generic unicard email address ), should contact Information Governance via dataprotection@york.ac.uk. 

You can also find generic information on how to get a new staff card below, but please be aware that the information on these pages is generic and directs staff towards teams and team email addresses, not directly to individuals. This could mean that a wider group of staff will be aware of your gender identity or history than you wish. If you are happy to contact teams directly via team email addresses, and are aware requests will be picked up by teams rather than individuals, key contacts are listed below:

To get a new staff card, see the University card for staff web pages. Your staff card automatically shows your known as name as recorded in MyView, by default. 

Further information on using and managing your staff card can be found in Uni Card Guidance for staff July 2011 (PDF , 190kb).

To apply for a replacement card, complete this simple form.

Following a name change with HR in ResourceLink, your new staff card should be automatically updated with your existing access and security profile. If you need to update any of your access permissions (for example, KABA locks), you can do so through Planon. You may need your manager to do this on your behalf.

If you have concerns about disclosing your gender identity or history (associated with formal, legal name and gender changes, with documentation), you may approach the facilities helpdesk, instead of using Planon, by asking Information Governance to put you in touch with a named person directly.
 
If you have access to any Onity locks, your name will need to be changed manually, and this can be done by the receptionists in the Information Centre.

Staff who publish may wish to change their name in various systems, such as:

1. Change your name in Orcid. Your Orcid ID will stay the same, but you can change both your name and your known-as name within the system. So publications will still be linked via your Orcid ID, even if your current and previous publications are under different names.
2. Retrospectively change your name on previous publications. Many journals allow you to change your name on previous publications. Individuals should contact the relevant journals and check the process.
3. Change your name on other systems like ResearchGate, Publons, and any specialist organisations, websites etc. where data is held. Individuals should contact these directly, or make amendments themselves where possible.

Trans staff may need time away from work to attend medical appointments. Time off should be negotiated with line managers, HR, and Occupational Health, and arrangements may optionally be included in a Trans Action Plan, if one is completed.

Staff are protected under the Equality Act 2010, which covers absences from work for trans staff. The University allows time off to attend medical appointments, under existing procedures. See section 9 of the University’s flexitime policy - you are encouraged to make medical appointments outside core hours and use leave or flexitime, but where appointments are within core hours, you will normally be credited as having worked them.

If an employee is supporting someone who is transitioning, they may need to take time off to attend appointments and treatment or give assistance following surgical procedures. Some of these may be at short notice, and may involve travelling a long distance. Managers will be as flexible as possible to accommodate this.

See HR’s Leave in Special Circumstances policy for further information about leave, in particular section 5 concerning dependents leave.

Check out our information for staff providing support webpage for more information about time off for medical reasons. It is mostly about student absence, but it also contains general information about transitioning.

The University celebrates and values the diversity of its staff and aims to ensure that all transgender members of staff are treated fairly and with dignity and respect. 

Job applicants are not required to disclose their trans history, but are required to disclose their legal sex for HMRC and pensions purposes if they are appointed. Where applicants choose to share their trans history, for example, through the submission of monitoring information, this will not be available to interview panel members, and will not have an impact on recruitment decisions or on appointment.

Trans applicants may be concerned about their trans history being revealed during the recruitment process, for example, by producing documents such as certificates, references, or ID that show a previous name. Documents will only need to be shown to HR, and any information about your trans history will be treated respectfully and confidentially.

If you have any concerns that you would like to discuss, and you want to approach HR in a confidentially, please contact Information Governance via dataprotection@york.ac.uk and they will facilitate a confidential discussion with a named individual in HR.

If you wish, you may alternatively contact the HR team yourself directly via hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk but please be aware that this is a generic team email address, accessible to a team of HR staff, rather than an individual. 

The University is legally required to carry out right to work checks to ensure that all employees are legally able to work in the UK. A list of acceptable documents is available on the University’s Minimum standards for right to work checks webpage. Your documents will only be seen by HR, and will be treated in confidence. The only information HR passes to departments is whether the employee has the right to work.

If you have any concerns about presenting documents to HR that reveal your gender identity or history, and you want a more confidential route, please contact Information Governance via dataprotection@york.ac.uk and they will put you in touch with a named individual in HR.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This is known as the sensitive applications route, and is available for all levels of DBS check - basic, standard and enhanced.

The sensitive applications route gives transgender applicants the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate that could reveal their previous gender identity.

When the University asks staff to complete a DBS check, a link is provided to the government's sensitive applications team.  You can contact them by email or phone for advice on completing your DBS application.

References are requested for a variety of purposes, including job applications, property rental, income confirmation, mortgage applications, and travel visas.

If a reference request is received in relation to a member of staff who has transitioned, the University will respond using the employee’s formally recorded (legal) name. No mention will be made of previous names or gender identity, unless the employee has asked us to do so. The process for changing your name on University records as an ex-employee (for example, if you transitioned after leaving the University) is the same as that for current employees (see the section on name changes in this guidance).

References provided by HR to external organisations do not include information about sickness absence. References provided by a manager will not include information about the reasons for any sickness absence without your consent. This information is strictly confidential and managers take appropriate care to ensure this information is not disclosed to others.

References provided by HR for internal (University) appointments do include sickness absence but do not include details of the reasons for absence.

When requesting references for new staff, the University uses the name given on the applicant’s application form. Such references are generated automatically by the University IT system.

If any of these procedures are problematic, or you have any queries and you wish to discuss your particular circumstances, you should either contact HR directly via hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk (if you are happy using a generic team email address, where your enquiry may be seen by a team of staff). Or contact the University’s Data Protection team dataprotection@york.ac.uk where your query will be received by a smaller team of staff who will put you in touch with a named individual in HR.

Attitudes towards trans people vary around the world. The University encourages all staff to research the country they are travelling to. Any concerns should be discussed with your line manager and HR where appropriate.

A travel risk assessment is required for all staff who need to travel abroad for their work where the country is deemed to be medium risk or above. An explanation of which countries are low, medium, and high risk is included on the travel risk assessment web pages.

For individual travel you would be the assessor and complete this form yourself. For groups who are travelling together the group organiser or leader would complete the risk assessment for all staff or students who are travelling. If you have any confidential information that you do not want to appear on the group form, and/or do not wish to share with the group leader, contact insurance-enquiries@york.ac.uk for a confidential discussion (a small, limited team have access to this inbox, and enquiries are confidential).

The University has also produced guidance for LGBTI+ staff and students travelling abroad.

Staff may not have made any firm decisions about how they identify, whether to transition, or who they want to share information with. If they wish to inform others, they may wish to do this themselves, or they may want their Line Manager and/or colleagues to do this for them or with them. If Line Managers or colleagues are assisting staff to tell others, they should make a written record agreeing who will be informed, and how. This may be recorded in the Trans Action Plan, if one is being completed.

Staff should be assured that they are able to dress according to their gender identity, including any uniforms that they may be expected to wear. Some teams may order clothing that includes gendered clothing options (eg men’s trousers or shirts, women's trousers or shirts etc). Please be assured that all staff are permitted to order and wear whatever options they wish.

The following information is provided by Unison in their model trans equality policy, which our guidance has been informed by.

Gender Recognition Act 2004

The UK Gender Recognition Act (GRA) enables people aged over eighteen to gain full legal recognition for the gender in which they live. Applications are considered by the Gender Recognition Panel. Once a person receives a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), they are legally of that gender for every purpose and have all the rights and responsibilities associated with that gender. Although the current GRA is UK-wide, it’s important to note that the GRA is a devolved matter and that devolved governments have committed to reforming the process of gender recognition.

Employment rights do not depend on whether a person has a Gender Recognition Certificate. Employers should not ask for a person’s GRC and it should never be a pre-condition for transitioning at work. To make an application for a GRC, a person needs to show they have been living – and working - in that gender for at least two years. So being asked to show a GRC as a condition of changing employment details is like being asked to show a full driving licence before you can apply for a provisional one.

The Gender Recognition Act gives anyone applying for or holding a Gender Recognition Certificate particular privacy rights. It is a criminal offence to pass on information acquired ‘in the course of official duties’ about someone’s gender recognition, without the consent of the individual affected.  ‘Official duties’ include employment, trade union representation or supply of business or professional services.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 (England, Scotland and Wales) protects against discrimination because of gender reassignment in employment and service delivery. It bans direct and indirect discrimination and victimisation. There is similar protection in Northern Ireland under the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations (NI) 1999.

The Act makes clear that it is not necessary for people to have any medical diagnosis or treatment to gain this protection; it is a personal process of moving away from the gender assigned at birth to the correct gender.

People discriminated against because they are wrongly perceived to be trans, or who are discriminated against because of their association with trans people or issues, are also protected.

In the vast majority of cases, the gender of a worker is of no relevance to their ability to do a particular job. However, the Equality Act 2010 does allow for an exception where being of a particular sex is an ‘occupational requirement’ of that post. If this is the case for an employee transitioning at work, they will be redeployed into a suitable position.

The following text is adapted for the University of York context from the Unison model policy.

The university commits to the roles and responsibilities outlined in the Unison model trans equality policy, outlined below.

Employee

• Engaging with managers and HR around the logistics of transitioning in the workplace
• Reporting any instances of harassment, victimisation or discrimination

Manager

• Ensuring that colleagues are informed about the employee’s transition in a manner that best suits the employee
• Maintaining confidentiality at all times
• Thoroughly investigating any instances of harassment, victimisation or discrimination
• Supporting the employee in any way that is necessary and appropriate

HR

• Ensuring that this policy is followed at all times
• Maintaining confidentiality, including securing paper documents and files

IT Department / Support Services

• Changing names, titles and pronouns on email and other systems
• Issuing updated security passes and ID badges

Learning and development (provided at University of York by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Office)

• Providing trans equality training as a general part of the equality and diversity training programme

Trade unions

• Supporting the employee if they experience harassment, victimisation or discrimination
• Discussing and agreeing any changes to university policy affecting trans staff.

Promotion of trans equality

As well as ensuring that trans staff are fully supported, the university of York will demonstrate our commitment to trans equality in the following ways:

• Ensuring that all training courses that are delivered are fully inclusive of trans people – this includes both face-to-face training and e-learning
• Marking important dates for the trans community, such as Trans Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance 
• Including trans people in publicity and marketing materials
• Ensuring that relevant forms and surveys are inclusive of trans people, including non-binary people for both staff and students
• Including trans equality as a core part of the organisation’s equality agenda and objectives
• Investigating fully all complaints of harassment, victimisation or discrimination on the grounds of gender identity, gender history, trans status or gender expression
• Monitoring the implementation of this policy
• Making staff aware of Staff Equality Networks and Forums they may join