WHITEHALL THREATENS MISGENDERING DISCIPLINE – The document details workplace standards for interacting with trans employees
Leaked Whitehall guidance has revealed that civil servants could face disciplinary action if they deliberately misgender a transgender colleague or use their previous name.
The Cabinet Office document, marked “Official Sensitive”, states that intentionally using the wrong pronouns or “deadnaming” someone to mock or invalidate them could be treated as misconduct and may lead to a formal investigation.
The guidance also makes clear that investigators should consider whether any incorrect reference was accidental or linked to factors such as memory problems or a neurodivergent condition.
It also sets out rules on workplace facilities, stating that employees may not use single-sex facilities that do not correspond with their biological sex.
The guidance follows last year’s Supreme Court ruling, which found that the legal definition of sex under the Equality Act refers to biological sex.
