Hi everyone .... below is a letter I've recently written and am getting ready to submit to my HR manager and then subsequently onto my boss who is the CFO of our company and then also the president/owner. My companies HR manager already knows about me and my trans status, and she is very suppportive, understanding & encouraging. The letter is more a formality of officially coming out to her in a work type way of protocol & notification. My boss & our company president on the other hand I don't believe know anything, although I would find it rather difficult to not considering the CFO is also our chief IT guy and monitors all internet and web activity pretty tightly and I've done my personal share of web searching.
A little background about my company. It is a union commercial construction company located in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. We specialize in earthwork, site utilities, earth retention, demolition & some other small miscellaneous niche stuff. I am an office based employee with primary duties involving client billing and payment collections, working with our Project Managers on each project for paperwork requirements, and many other smaller tasks. All of our PM's are males (10 total), the CFO & President are boht male, and the office support is all female with the exception of my physical appearance being male. We have a fielf staff that is primarily male with the exception of a few females for minority status reporting on state/federal projects. Most of our field staff is union employed and direct employees of our company. My main position doesn't interact much on the fore-front with clients and selling on services on projects, but more behind the scenes, which I believe is beneficial toward my transition.
Anyways, not ramble on any longer, here's my letter for review and critique.....
Personal and Confidential
January 23rd, 2012
(NAME)
Human Resource Manager
(COMPANY)
Subject: Key Life Events Requiring Company Involvement
Dear Ms. (LAST NAME),
I am writing this letter to formally disclose one of the hardest and most personal aspects of my life to you and to (COMPANY's) management group. Essentially this letter is a personal matter and it is my hope that the information contained herein will be kept privileged, private and respected as such. As my employer, I feel the time has come to notify you about this personal situation and to ask for your patience, understanding and support, which I would treasure.
I am Transgender. I have a gender identity disorder (GID) that I have struggled with since my earliest recollections as a child, thus encompassing my entire life. I have had professional therapy and counseling over a number of years, by a couple of different psychotherapists/psychologists, each determining similar conclusions of gender dysphoria. It has taken me many years since the initial diagnosis in 2001 to come to terms with what it all means and to accept myself. Obliviously, this isn't something that I've entered into for a frivolous nature or shared with others without a strong sense of one's self.
I can't begin to shed light on the trepidation, loneliness, and despair that I lived with in keeping this information secluded from most everyone I know except a few select friends and family members. Most people I have come out to have been overly supportive and caring, offering a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on in times of need. However, it is with deep sorrow that I do not have any understanding, sympathy or care from the one person who means the most, my wife. This has created a very fractured environment in my personal life and has been a great roadblock in my pursuit of my true-self. Right or wrong, I've come to a point where I must move forward.
I would like to work with the company in an effort to devise a plan/process in which I can easily make a transition to a more feminine persona with minimal discomfort to myself, my co-workers & management, and our valued business associates. In the not so distant past, being Transgendered was all too often stigmatized & overly sensationalized. Fortunately, I believe we have moved into an era where being Transgendered can be acknowledged with dignity and purpose. I am priviledged to have the benefit of others before me in careers such as academics, business, construction, engineering, law and virtually every other imaginable career choice who have been successful & productive. I believe it is with our collective thoughts, open minds, and a willingness to ask questions, that this can be accomplished to ensure a smooth & efficient transition. I am enclosing information from the Human Rights Campaign, & others to aid in your knowledge on the subject and to express the means that other companies have succeeded with.
So, while I am a little frightened to make this discloser in writing for it's legitimacy, it is also a great personal venture for me. This change will not affect my ability to do my job in anyway. In fact, you may see a renewed and re-energized person with less stress and more focus. This experience has been one of enormous growth for me, and I am committed to making (COMPANY NAME) proud of me, and proud of recognizing the diversity and strengths of its people. Again, I appreciate your understanding and support, and look forward to working with you.
Respectfully,
(MY NAMES)
The letter is precisely one page long currently, and I realize some additional tweaking is proably necessary before final submission. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments (positively or negatively) and also any recommended sources of good information to include as supporting documentation.
Thank you all,
Jenni
