Transsexual worker had to switch between gender ‘modes’

A TRANSSEXUAL employee awarded €35,000 by the Equality Tribunal has spoken out about the stress she endured by being asked to switch between a male/female identity in her workplace.

Louise Hannon, who had been employed by First Direct Logistics Ltd, claimed that since she had informed her employer of her true identity, her work conditions were made so intolerable that she was ultimately constructively dismissed.

The Equality Tribunal found First Direct to have discriminated against Ms Hannon — who was diagnosed with gender identity disorder and is a male-to-female transsexual — on the grounds of gender and disability.

Ms Hannon said she endured a lot of stress by being asked to switch between male and female mode while working.

“I told my employer I wanted to leave. I took him over to my computer and showed him a picture of me as ‘Louise’ and said I was transgender. He said he didn’t want me to leave because I was an asset to company... but because a transport company is a very male environment I didn’t feel it was a good environment to transition into.

“The reaction was that I had to work on the phone for another nine months in male mode and seek clients in male mode, but could dress female in office... I was under a lot of stress.”

Ms Hannon, who first began to feel “different” while aged seven or eight, told RTÉ radio she never felt male or female and it took a long time to find out who she was.

Ms Hannon who grew up as a man, married, and eventually had two children, said she started to look at the reasons she felt like she did when her marriage broke up.

“I came across a trained councillor from Canada who told me what I could be. After months of counselling I had to accept that I was female in mind... and I started to dress as woman about 12 years ago — but going to work as a man.”

Ms Hannon said she was sorry things worked out the way they did, and sent out a warning to other employers to look after transgender employees.

And while her friends have remained supportive throughout her transition, Ms Hannon has not spoken with her sons in more than six years.

“My two sons have not spoken to me for six or seven years... but there are other issues there too, such as the divorce. I have three grandchildren, only one of which I’ve seen, and I would love to be able to see the others,” she added.