LGBT friendly company?

[kariann330]

So i tried looking online and sadly i couldn't find any help so im wondering, does anyone know if Carlisle Company is an LGBT friendly company. I know it hardly matters in Ohio cuz its an at will state and i can be fired for sneezing on my boss, but it would help ease my worries about transitioning at work if it's a friendly company ya know..

[smile_jma]

Ohio doesn't include gender identity, gender expression in their discrimination law?

[Kayla86]

I think what she is asking is if that specific company already has policies in place. My company doesn't "yet"but our CEO & President are working on a lot of policies and training's for it.

As for Ohio there is no employment protection for Gender Identity unless it is in a public office position.

[kariann330]

There is protection for the LGBT family under the equal opportunity laws, but as i said with Ohio being an at will employment state, they can fire me because im trans, but say it's poor performance....or since im working with really hot metal say that im not being safe enough and let me go. There may be laws protecting us, but if a company really wants you gone they will find a way and a reason.

[Alainaluvsu]

Unfortunately, you're right. If they want to fire you for smelling like Dove soap they can. My best guess would be to contact their HR department and see how they feel about transgender persons working in their company.

[Alexthecat]

Walmart has policy's protecting us.

[Katie]

I have a suggestion. Get your paperwork in order NOW and then apply for jobs as the woman you say you are.

I hate to tell you this but society is not really up on the whole transition thing. As a matter of fact once most people meet a guy they can never reprogram their minds to seeing a girl. That also includes even me to some degree.

There is just too many reasons to do it the rite way instead of transforming in front of your co workers. Now if you think differently then I would at least suggest the next best thing. From the day you decide to be the woman at your job you from that day forward NEVER present anything but the woman. Flip flopping is not a good thing. Just ask John Kerry about it........

Katie

[kariann330]

Walmart has policy's protecting us.

Screw Hell-mart. I will never work there again!! Not only are people over worked and underpaid, but there benefit package is overpriced and isn't worth spit in a bucket and there policy of FORCING you to take a long lunch to avoid overtime is ILLEGAL. I can't wait for the day that someone sues there pants off and forces them out of business....that day i will celebrate by downing a case of Budweiser.

[kariann330]

I have a suggestion. Get your paperwork in order NOW and then apply for jobs as the woman you say you are.

I hate to tell you this but society is not really up on the whole transition thing. As a matter of fact once most people meet a guy they can never reprogram their minds to seeing a girl. That also includes even me to some degree.

There is just too many reasons to do it the rite way instead of transforming in front of your co workers. Now if you think differently then I would at least suggest the next best thing. From the day you decide to be the woman at your job you from that day forward NEVER present anything but the woman. Flip flopping is not a good thing. Just ask John Kerry about it........

Katie

What and leave a company with tons of overtime, great healthcare, vision and dental benefits, above average pay for a factory, and is not only American owned but is also American ran.....no thanks.

[Katie]

Excuse me I misread your original post. My reply was geared to someone looking for a job. On the other hand knowing what I know I can say there is a good chance that you will be looking for a new job once you begin transition anyways. Its just one of the things that happens to people that transition. Employers typically don't want disruptions and transitioning is seen as that.

[Anna++]

http://asp.hrc.org/issues/workplace/organization_profile.asp?organization_id=43642&search_id=1&search_type=Quick

Looks like they don't gender identity protections listed in their employee handbook

[SandraB]

Sort of ironic that one of the pivotal states, THE battleground state in the last USA Presidential elections is so lacking in basic human rights, but sad to say that we, yes Ohio, is one of the thirty-one states that lack definitive legislation barring discrimination based on gender identity. Sadly, once I go full time, my current employer will fire me and I lose my job also, solely based on nothing more than gender identity.
To find out which employers do not discriminate, you can check out their EEO statement and specifically look for 'gender identity'.  Ohio does have numerous companies that do offer protection. Unfortunately, your current one is not one of them. As much as I love where I currently live, it's their archaic attitude that will ultimately drive me from here.
For more info on friendly states, here's a good site: http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/maps-of-state-laws-policies

[kariann330]

Sort of ironic that one of the pivotal states, THE battleground state in the last USA Presidential elections is so lacking in basic human rights, but sad to say that we, yes Ohio, is one of the thirty-one states that lack definitive legislation barring discrimination based on gender identity. Sadly, once I go full time, my current employer will fire me and I lose my job also, solely based on nothing more than gender identity.
To find out which employers do not discriminate, you can check out their EEO statement and specifically look for 'gender identity'.  Ohio does have numerous companies that do offer protection. Unfortunately, your current one is not one of them. As much as I love where I currently live, it's their archaic attitude that will ultimately drive me from here.
For more info on friendly states, here's a good site: http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/maps-of-state-laws-policies

Honesty state level laws are a total waste of time when federal laws trump state laws. There are already federal laws.protecting us so state laws are unneeded and redundant.
But on a plus side, the holiday schedule just came out...Mandatory Overtime from now until Christmas shut down.....yay me 19 days straight without a day off....at 10 an hour, plus time and a half Saturday and DOUBLE time Sunday....my checking account/gun fund will love me lol.

[LordKAT]

Illegal to force you to work more than 13 days without a day off. Good thing volunteering is OK.

[Alainaluvsu]

"Illegal" (discrimination, work laws such as no lunch provided, etc) in the work place is really hard to enforce. Unless you can report it to OSHA, the EPA, IRS, or something like that then they can find any reason to fire you if they want. However if they're putting their employees, or environment in danger or has back taxes / are doing something illegal like embezzlement, then you have leverage and can report them anonymously.

For example, my employer requires that women wear makeup, but it is not mandatory for men. You think I'm gonna go to the government on them? I can.. I bet the ACLU would make hay day out of that. I'm sure I'd win the case because that's gender discrimination. But in the end they'll fire me for poor performance or not getting along with everybody or something silly like that.

[JoanneB]

I've been in upper management and can certainly verify that if the comp wanted to get rid of you, they will. Hourly workers are a tad harder to "fire" but a layoff is easier and a lot faster. Salaried people are far easier, no reason needed. Still, my head explodes whenever I read of those cases where a boss says, or worse in writing states, we need to get rid of you because you are one of those.

As someone else said, disruptions are bad. If you feel a transition on the job will not be well recieved you need to do additional planning. Step 1 is document everything. Take every cautionary step possible from informing HR and your immediate boss, even team leaders. Recording and logging these conversations, for your own personal recolection of them, is perhaps a good idea. Same for your workday if things don't run smoothly as well as your reporting all those incidents.

In the land of lawsuits your priorities tend to be Employee Manual, Comp Policy, Local, County, and State Laws. Federal is dead last, that is unless you are paying the lawyer in cash his $400/Hr rate for your case

[Katie]

First of all any small company can discriminate for anything. Crap if you have under a certain number of employees you can discriminate and not hire blacks, or jews or whatever.

One of the things I have done is focus my posts on the women here that are actually transitioning because they are women, not trans people. I could care less if someone wants to be a trans person but then good luck in life. On the other hand the sooner someone simply moves past the whole trans person stuff and is just another woman the better.

Once someone has this state of mind they are far less likely to experience all the negative things that society can dish out. 

But I will say one thing nearly all the women I have known including myself were fired when we started transition or shortly after. At that time it was painful but you know I can also appreciate it because it allowed me to re-focus myself on getting a NEW job as a woman where the people didn't know the person from before.

My final though is all the trans people that fight for all these protections and such crack me up. Lets say all the laws they seek were in place they would still suffer the strife of society. On the other hand if they were just another woman......... well society does not care about that, what they care about is people that want to be different so by all means be that trans person but don't cry on my shoulder..........

Katie

[evecrook]

I believe Katie has got a very sound view of reality

[kariann330]

So i got a huge packet in the mail today. Not only was there information about my nondisclosure agreement, ITAR policy, and notice that i passed my federal background check and can continue working, there was a handbook. Flip to page 37 of 100 and right in the middle of the page in bold underlined print it reads, "Discrimination on the basis of an individuals race, religion,creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, national origin,, veterans status or GENDER IDENTITY, is grounds for immediate dismissal. Further more if a person wishes to wear clothing traditionally worn by a specific gender, they are to be referred to as that gender, failure to do so can be seen as discrimination and you can and will be terminated and immediately removed from the property"

So regardless of what any Debbie Downer wants to say, i feel safe after reading that but will still be discussing my transition with HR when i am financially able to get the ball rolling again.

[Katie]

One of the problems that trans people have is the inability to listen to reality. You see in order to go through transition one needs to have an I don't care attitude and that often carries on to only hearing what they want to hear. Anything contrary to that is considered negative or worse.

Please don't construe my words to be a downer. If you had read further you would see that even though most every person I have known that transitioned (a lot) was fired in the end they came to realize that was a positive thing because it forced them to focus their efforts.

So yes I would be more than willing to bet you will get fired. Usually because transition is considered a disruption. Come to think of it the fact that you feel protected is enough to get someone to run their mouth in a manner that is seen as a disruption.That's not really anything to do with discrimination its a disruption. If I was a business owner which I was at one point in time I would have the non discrimination policy but if I had an employee that was beginning transition I would sit down with them and set the rules. One would be that from the day they changed genders there would be no flip flopping back and forth. The other rule would be that they need to be very limited as to how they talked about their transition with their co workers. If they followed those rules it would be totally ok. On the other hand if they ran their mouths and made their co workers uncomfortable well that's a disruption..........and those are easy to replace.

Katie