A trans woman who was "deadnamed" by her employer has won thousands of pounds in compensation.
The woman claimed that after she transitioned, Kingston Council, where she worked in the transport department, took two years to change her details on official records.
AB, as she was referred to during the court proceedings, gave the council eight months’ notice ahead of her transition in order for all documents to be changed in time.
However, after her transition in July 2020, it took two years for her records to be updated.
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AB told the tribunal that she received no support from the council during this period.
Her locker which had her "deadname" on it – a trans’ persons previous name – was covered up with a post-it note with her new name sketched on.
The tribunal in Croydon also heard that management also ignored her complaints of unfair treatment.
Her bosses accused AB of throwing a "hissy fit" and referred to her in emails in which the tribunal agreed was "derogatory" and "unprofessional" language.
Calling out her managers’ behaviour, she emailed them saying: "If you wish to proceed I will pass this to HR as I feel since my transition, I have been singled out on a witch-hunt and if you wish me to resign I will do this on grounds of constructive dismissal and secondary discrimination, I will not be bullied and treated in a demeaning manner."
One of the managers demanded that she apologise after she accused them of conducting a "witch-hunt".
"After transition it took two years to get her door pass which allowed access into the office and gave access to operate the printers," the tribunal was told.
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The tribunal took place in Croydon (pictured)
"It is accepted that [AB] was effectively unable to access the office for almost two years.
"When [she] did get into the building her locker had a Post-it note put on it with her deadname crossed out and her post-transition name written on. This was in full view of everyone."
She was awarded £25,453 in compensation including £21,000 for injury to feelings.
The panel ruled that the "deadnaming" had negatively impacted her mental health and was a product of "less favourable treatment".
AB had to take off a month off sick in November 2021 due to stress.
Her GP said that she had undergone a period of "huge stress and trauma" due to the workplace bullying.
Judge McLaren said: "We find its [the council’s] policies and practices at the time of [AB] transitioning to have been woefully inadequate with both a failure to provide guidance to staff undergoing transition and to team managers.
"We understand why [AB] felt badly let down by her employer. She was left to navigate a complex set of [council] systems with no support or even signposting from HR as to how to do this."
AB underwent "huge stress and trauma" due to the situation
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Kingston Council told GB News: "We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all our employees regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
"We are very sorry for the shortcomings in the experience of our employee and for the distress this has caused.
"Prior to the outcome of the tribunal we had taken actions to free our workplace from discrimination. These include ensuring our managers are knowledgeable and understating of the support they need to give our employees, providing all staff with mandatory diversity and inclusion training, trans and gender diversity sessions as well as developing our Trans Equality Policy and supporting guidance for staff who start their transitioning journey whilst working for the council.
"We have improved our processes and systems to better support officers from the trans and non-binary community and also reviewed our dignity at work policy to make it easier for employees to report any incidents of discrimination.
"There is always more that we can do to ensure we are building equity into our culture and working practices. We are committed to doing the hard work necessary to create a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone including our trans and non-binary colleagues."
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