From the 28th of September, civil service departments will begin to implement policy which will be harmful to Trans+ members in England and Wales, as we reported on the 7th of September. These include changes to departments’ bathroom policy, where Trans+ members will now no longer be able to use the bathroom of their lived gender, and changes to special leave which will seriously hinder Trans+ members’ recovery from gender-affirming surgery.
The fight for Trans+ liberation is linked with the union’s campaign for better pay and working conditions. Broad Left Network members ensured that the protection of Trans+ staff was included in the union’s dispute letter to the Cabinet Office. The vote to support action will start on 20 October 2026, and voting YES in the ballot is the best way to fight for Trans+ liberation. As well as fighting for improved pay, more jobs and better conditions.
The changes to bathroom policy are a real and immediate concern for members, as it reduces Trans+ members’ movement in the office, risks outing them as trans to their colleagues and reduces the overall capacity of disabled and accessible bathrooms in the building. All staff are affected by this, not just the Trans+ community.
Politically, the attacks on the rights of the Trans+ community are part of a broader attack on women’s rights, with women’s appearances judged more harshly against the backdrop of transphobia. Women who do not conform to the western idealised version of what a woman “should” look like are at risk of being considered trans, and complaints made against them. There is no clear pathway in the current guidance for a cisgender woman to prove that she was assigned female at birth.
Much of the guidance that is being published accepts definitions and arguments from a gender critical perspective. The employer in this instance is attempting to balance the rights of the Trans+ community with the negative opinions of gender critical groups, who seek to remove Trans+ people from public life through mechanisms such as this implementation.
In addition to the change in bathroom policy, many departments are also removing or reducing their capacity for Special Leave in relation to Trans+ staff recovering from life-saving gender-affirming surgeries. The changes to Special Leave will push Trans+ staff to return to work earlier due to warnings for attendance. This could mean that Trans+ staff become seriously injured as they risk tearing the surgical area if they return to work too soon, or they might be refused surgery altogether if a surgeon is worried they will not have enough time to recover from surgery.
The Broad Left Network will continue to campaign for the government to change the law. If line manager members are being asked to do anything you feel uncomfortable about – raise with your union branch. We encourage all members to look out for one another, and suggest this approach to safely do this.
Members:
– should not question someone’s sex, gender or use of facilities.
– should not raise grievances or complaints about a colleague’s sex, gender or use of facilities.
– should report any instances where you see others harassing or questioning someone on their sex, gender or use of facilities.
– should, if possible and safe, intervene using active bystander methods to support members of staff you think are being harassed.
In the meantime, vote YES, YES in the national ballot and think about joining the BLN – Join us
