Everybody's transition is different. It's an intensely personal and challenging process that will need to be handled individually. It's entirely up to you to choose how and when you take each step.
In early stages, you should talk to whomever at the company that you feel the most comfortable with to help decide how you want to approach your workplace transition. Per our privacy policies, they won't disclose anything to other employees without your consent.
When you're ready, you can inform your manager and lay out a plan and timeline for your transition. What follows are some common steps and factors that may help you with this process.
If you're changing your name, on what date do you want to have your records (email, slack username, etc) updated? You can work with your manager to make sure everything is updated smoothly.
You may want to have a new photo ready to use as your avatar in your google profile, your slack profile, and any other services, as well as your headshot for all-hands slides.
When or if your legal documentation changes, you'll need to inform your manager to make sure that our records on Gusto, Guideline, and your health insurance are correct.
During your transition, you might decide to take some time off work, for a variety of reasons, prior to returning from your transition. Ride Report is dedicated to accommodating these absences, and you can work with your manager to build a plan for returning to work that you're comfortable with, including informing your coworkers in advance.
Additionally, you may have anticipated dates for medical appointments, treatments, or surgical procedures which may necessitate medical leave. You may want to work with your manager to plan for a future extended absence. Medical transition is not necessary to have your gender recognized by your fellow employees.
How and when do you want your coworkers to be informed? It's your choice if you want to tell them yourself or if you'd prefer your manager or a coworker to do that for you. It can be during a series of private 1-on-1s, a message on slack, or even an announcement at all-hands if you want. You might want to discuss with your manager if gender identity issues training could be needed.
How do you want your first day after transitioning to take place? You may want it to be treated just like any other day, or perhaps you will want to be sure to have someone you trust with you to support you, or maybe you want the occasion to be noted and celebrated by your peers. Whatever you want, communicating it ahead of time can help make sure that things go smoothly.
On and after your first day, your manager will monitor how things are going and if you're being treated appropriately by your coworkers.
<aside> ❤️ *Our Employee Guide is publicly available and "open source", so that others can use it for inspiration or as the basis for their own guide.
Nothing in this guide should be considered legal or tax advice, mediation or counseling. This guide is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license.*
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