What are the legal protections against workplace discrimination for neogenders?

I interviewed alongside a transgendered (MTF) candidate a few years ago. They didn't get a job offer.

I'm not sure having this person working in construction-related enforcement when at 6'3", built like the proverbial, tottering in 4" heels and insisting they "pass" would have been a good opportunity for the employer. I rather suspect there would have been near daily drama, not least of all due to their inability to have a conversation about anything else except the selves during the entire assessment / interview day and turned it all around to them. Twas all very odd.

This has all become so bizarre. I feel the tide has turned and of course firms need to operate within the law but I think most people believe there are just two sex/genders and therefore anyone who identifies as something other than male or female is probably unlikely to fit into many workplaces which is a reason not to employ them as they would have an impact on the team.

It's a short step from respecting the catgender woman to having to accommodate the adult babies. I'm very comfortable with discriminating against adult babies.

Actual lol.

Don’t be daft.

my own kid (now an adult) has ASD, ADHD and Dyspraxia and he knows full well that you have to dress appropriately for a job interview and you can’t expect the interviewer to be happy with you if you keep bringing up your special interests.

You are letting your young people down if you aren’t telling them not to wear fancy dress to a job interview.

@Paq I clearly referenced the disparaging comments made in snide fashion for anything other than the typical.

My experience differs from you in that to date any neo gender self reference has been from ND person. That's my experience to date so far .

@Marblessolveeverything frankly you do young people a disservice. I have people with neurodiversity and MH conditions in my team and (a) we work together to make sure they are contributing and being accommodated in terms of their needs (b) know what is and isn't appropriate at work and (c) would be horrified at being lumped in with catgender people.

Assuming that people with different gender/species/identities must be in some way ND or otherwise mentally ill is breathtakingly offensive no matter how you look at it.

@Paq reading @NicCageisnotNickCave reply makes me more aware of the absolute horrific future young ND people face. I look around me at the high number of young adults not employed.

Capable of doing the job but due to pure ignorance, prejudice and blatant ignoring equality law don't get a start. I hope society starts to call out our next episode of shameful behaviour.

I work in the public sector we support those who need access supports for a period to help them gain a foothold, over the past decade of probably 5/6 people per year only one didn't work out. Thankfully I work with decent human beings who work hard to be inclusive.

The issues that nb people could cause in a workplace are not worth it. Toilet issues being a very obvious one.

I've interviewed people (not NB) and there's always a reason that can be found without being too personal.

It is not the employers responsibility to facilitate people's search for a sense of identity. Neurodiversity can be accommodated without making everyone pretend someone is a cat or a cloud.

Presumably you don’t wear cat ears to interviews Balloons? 😬😂

Education is really failing our youngsters if they aren’t leaving school/college with the understanding that the job interview dress code rarely calls for animal ears.

Unless it’s an interview for Playboy Bunnies? Are they still a thing in 2023?

I got talking to my boss about this at my last job, as we had a transgender male applicant (as in, a man saying he's a woman) applying to another team in the company, over in the US headquarters. We were a smaller satellite office based in London.

To my surprise, as I was tiptoeing around the topic, he told me point blank that he rejects anyone transgender as early in the hiring stage as it's possible to find out, as it's not worth the likely management problems, or the hit to the team's morale in having to walk on eggshells all the time. This was based on past experience. Of course he would always give some other vague reason not to hire, to avoid getting in trouble.

I suspect this happens a lot.

I'm pretty weird (and ND), have never bothered/managed to hide it in interviews and almost always get offered the job I've applied for.

I'm extremely competent as well as easygoing though. And don't throw a strop or even bother mentioning being misgendered (which is actually pretty much daily, over email).

You do realise that surely some of these people are desperately looking to belong? Need support? But by all means go on referring to people as "weird".

Employers are looking for employees who can do the specified work and slot into the company quickly and with minimum fuss.

Of course ND people deserve support and belonging but unless the interviewer is one of great organs that exist to help give vulnerable people a springboard ‘first job’ it’s not the what the employers is interviewing in search of.

We can’t all take our whole, weird, selves into work, because nothing would ever get done.

Was going to ask exactly the same!

Nobody tries to "belong" by announcing they're cloud or cat gender 🙄. Quite the reverse, I imagine.

I am assuming that a full assessment of the person would need to be undertaken to ensure that what you perceive as "weird" isn't ND.

If you are in recruitment it is absolutely sad to hear someone speak of potential applications in such way. What chance has young ND/non conforming people got in entering the workforce.

You do realise that surely some of these people are desperately looking to belong? Need support? But by all means go on referring to people as "weird".

What in the name of fuck is cloudgender?!

Dull not full

I would think it would always be unwise to make any comment about a personal aspect of an interviewee lest it be seen as discriminatory. My manager didn’t give someone a job yesterday because he was so full in the interview he stopped listening to him, he still put other candidates had more experience.

Legally I think you'd have to do what Maya did ‐ establish that their belief is protected by law. Non binary isn't but if you were a 'non binary' woman you could sue if they turned you down for being a woman who wouldn't wear high heels.

This is what the vegan chap did.

Gender identity is not a protected characteristic. However, experienced recruiters know not to write anything ever that could be construed as discriminatory. I stick to "a strong applicant but ultimately lost out to the successful candidate who demonstrated skills, knowledge, experience and aptitude that more closely matched the role."

Are you seriously suggesting that unless there is a dress code specifically banning the wearing of cat ears, it shouldn’t be an issue?
Also - if someone wears cat ears and insists on being ‘catgender’, then they have definitely brought it up as an issue themselves!