Petition: At UK's Jobcentre Plus, Transgender Job Seekers Told To Hide Their Gen

[Shana A]

At UK's Jobcentre Plus, Transgender Job Seekers Told To Hide Their Gender Identity
by Michael Jones · February 09, 2011

http://news.change.org/stories/at-uks-jobcentre-plus-transgender-job-seekers-told-to-hide-their-gender-identity

Tina Cook has been looking for a job for nearly 18 months, after losing her job at a construction company. It's the reason she walked into a Jobcentre Plus location, hoping to get some advice from an office run by the UK's Department for Work and Pensions on finding a new career.

Yet instead of good advice, Tina was told that if she really wanted to find a job, she ought to dress like a man. And then staff members at Jobcentre Plus allegedly called her "darling," and snickered about her appearance.

See, Tina is a transgender woman, about a quarter of the way through her gender realignment process.

[gennee]

Tina should try somewhere else because these people don't have a clue and show their crassness.

Gennee

[pixiegirl]

Tina should try somewhere else because these people don't have a clue and show their crassness.

Unfortunately that wouldn't be an option for Tina, Gennee....in the UK jobcentre pluses are where you go for welfare benefits too. I guess the closest equivalent you could have in the US would be combining an employment fair and retraining centre with a Dept. of Labour office, and you go to the one you're told to.

[Make_It_Good]

Gosh!

I was fortunate enough when I had to sign on at the job centre before, I spoke to someone during the initial process, had to tell them about my transition. They had it down on their system but made my case or file or whatever, private. And the rest was normal, I was listed as male etc.

Can she not do anything against them for discrimination? Thats bad that the people she must turn to for help, have acted this way, they clearly dont understand at all.