Are you employed?

[Steph]

It was mentioned recently in one of the posts that most TS are underemployed, so I was just wondering...

What our status is as far as our employment is concerned.  What do we do, are you in school, are you retired etc. and please indicate how you I dentify - TS, IS, CD, TV, female, male etc...

It would be interesting to see how our community here is faring.  I myself am fortunate enought to be employed.

Steph

[Jay]

No - I am financially secure  I wish..

Yes - Full time  unfortunately...

[BCL]

I have my own business, which is doing very well.

Even employ 5 staff now.

Rebecca

[Steph]

It's too bad that this forum software doesn't allow multiple questions in a poll.

I guess I'd have to make a separate topics for:

"Have you ever lost a job by being transsexual?"
"Are you working a minimum wage job?"

Renate

To keep this one on topic go ahead and start new topics about your questions.

Steph

[Robyn]

I'm part time because I'm semiretired.  Occasionally brought back to Virginia full time.

We could do reasonably well on Social Security, military retirement and investments if I weren't working.  My husband will have less income if I kick the bucket first.

Robyn

[Pica Pica]

full time - minimum wage...very boring.

[HelenW]

As of yesterday morning, I'm unemployed. 

My former employer has moved so much of their product to China that their domestic function has shrunk considerably.  Yesterday, I and 17 others were let go.  I'm certain the reasons I was picked were economic and that my transition had little to do with it.  For that I am grateful.

Nevertheless, I'm scared to death that I won't be able to find another place that can compare to the one I had.  I've only been working as my true self for 4½ months and I wonder if I can perform the way I need to during interviews.  That is, if I can even get to the interview stage because of my phone voice's incongruity with my female name.  I hope my fear is exaggerating my worries yet I can't stop wondering if I will have to settle for a lower paying and less skilled job because I'm a woman with a trans history.  And all of this worry is augmented by the question of coming out to the potential employer's HR departments.  If I don't, which would be my preference, and the Social Security Administration sends a "no match letter" I could be fired for misrepresentation.

I'm trying to stay positive and optimistic.  I hope the stresses of the inevitable feelings of rejection, as potential employers pick others over me, will not be so heavy that I sink into a severe depression.  A lot has changed in the ten years since I last had to look for a job and I wonder if my age, I'm over 50, will make things that much harder.  And I pray that the strain of unemployment on my relationship with my spouse will not destroy it.

On the up side, I have good intelligence, education and skills that many companies would find valuable.  I was able to present myself and interview well before so I should be able to develop the same now that I'm my true self, maybe even better.  With any luck, I'll find a place where they will support me and my medical needs fully, hopefully before the severance and unemployment income run out.  Maybe moving to another job will be the best thing for me, as it was the as time I had to do this.

hugs & smiles
Emelye

[Kate]

Fulltime, transitioned within same job (I owe them my life actually, they've been wonderfully nurturing for me).

I'm really worried about the recession rumours though, as they tend to hit my company really hard. The last one hit back in 1990ish right after they'd hired me, and we had to let go of maybe half the employees. Shudder.

~Kate~

[Laura91]

Disabled MtF TS

[Shana A]

I'm self employed, I guess I can call it full time although one place I work at has let me know that they're closing at the end of Jan. So currently scrambling a bit to replace that situation.

I have also been fired in the past for being trans.

y2g

[Schala]

Don't currently work. On welfare. Would have been suicide to transition where I worked 2 years and a half ago.

I never got fired for being trans specifically, because I haven't worked since transition.

I've been fired for being too weak (physically) more than once, but when I was hired they would insist on giving me a physically demanding job...

I've been discriminated against (not hired or even had a trial) for being too feminine-looking (not long before transition). And for being male (7 years ago) - as retail stores prefer females, it seems.

The last place I worked at retained me because I was very productive and dependable. Co-workers didn't get along with me (mainly the young 18-25 guys), but I was switched to an evening shift with only 2 other workers later on (my last 6 months there). That last arrangement was better, but transitioning on the job there would have been a bad idea still. The day and evening shifts overlapped by 1:30 hour, so I still saw them, just less. And comments about my hair, body and such were common.

[mickiejr1815]

i'm an mtf non-op ts currently. i am employed part time currently by choice as my so likes to work, which i so enjoy as i get to stay home and take care of the kids like i have always wanted. i haven't fully come out on the job, i just present as female, people see me how they see me. most of the customers see me as female and i am definitely fine with that.

[lady amarant]

Employed full-time, not having come out at work or in public yet. But there are definite ... stirrings amongst the troops at the office about me. I suspect if it wasn't for the fact that I'm only there temporarily, I'd probably get marching orders soon enough. Might still happen, I suppose.

[Rachael]

Part time coed, part time chef at a small resteraunt.

Im full time, and stealth at work (by accident, they just never noticed, and i forgot to mention it) oh yeah, and i2f ts...
R

[Sheila]

I work part time but that is what my classification is, I really put in about 40 hours a week. I do have a pension that I got from my previous job that I retired from, 35 yrs. I have not been out of work since I was 9 years old. I started transitioning at my previous job then retired, not forcibly but burned out, and got a job after my surgery as a bus driver for the school district. Was not question at all about my gender. I put down female and they said OK sooo, can you drive a bus? Then, they made sure I wasn't wanted by anyone, darn. I'm not a terrorist I found out. Then, they look at my driving record, I closed my eyes, they said clean, I guess I was dreamin when I thought I was pulled over for a DUI. Now, I have been there over 4 years now and they keep piling on these kids that they think I know where they go. Heaven forbid the find out the true Sheila.
Sheila

[Rashelle]

Post-op MTF TS. I had a good position in an intolerant company. Had my job position eliminated (Note I was listed as a different position/function then what I actually did) days prior to my surgery date. Eventually went to another job and was subsequently laid off. Am now unemployed again. To the point of am seriously contemplating bankruptcy. I am very frustrated by the question on almost every application I fill out for security purposes where they ask. "Have you ever had a different name? If so what was it and why did you change it?"
Rashelle

[Sheila]

Rashelle,
  Usually there is a time limit on admitting that you had changed your name. I think it is three or five years. I would check it out.
Sheila

[tekla]

I'm really into the streams of income deal, so that I don't have to depend on one source alone.  Most of my money is from union work, but I do some freelance writing and research, and also take photos for real estate listings.  In truth I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not working.  And I've always had the idea that 'anything worth doing is worth doing for money.'  So I try to make everything pay off in some way.

[tinkerbell]

Ummmm...yeah?  fulltime, overworked and stressed out...

Post-op woman as well.

tink

[TheBattler]

Full time employment.


*Huggles Emelye - I hope it all goes well.

Alice