SEEN in HR

Happy New Year! What are our wishes? For 2025 to be the year of sense and adherence to the Equality Act. And for the ruling on the For Women Scotland case bring some clarity to the definition of sex in law. A reminder that the deadline for the Equality and Human Rights Commission consultation on their Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations is 3rd Jan 5pm. Organisations or individuals can contribute. The revision to the CoP is a key opportunity to provide practical guidance , including on matters of sex, gender and belief. Our friends at Sex Matters outline here the problems with the current proposed changes and share their submission. #SexNotGender #HumanResources #SingleSexSpaces #SEEN #BeMoreSEEN #EqualityAct2010 #EA2010 #HR #EHRC https://lnkd.in/eDN5_-3N

Festive break announcement ahoy! We are signing off LinkedIn (or going quieter at least) for our first ever Christmas break. Sending best wishes for the festive season, however you celebrate (or not!) this time of year.  Thanks so much to all our connections on here and on X for your engagement and support. Thanks to all our fantastic members for making SEEN in HR what it is. Since launching at the end of February, we’ve had the privilege of working with the other SEENs, in particular attending the brilliant SEEN meet-up in the summer coordinated by Sex Matters. Along with Sex Matters and others, we’ve influenced the CIPD to revise their trans and non-binary guidance for workplaces. It is not perfect now but it is significantly less ideologically driven than it was. Internal discussions in our network are supportive and encouraging, practical and fun! Members have had successes in speaking out and challenging things, gaining confidence, in part, from being part of SEEN. Wishing our fellow SEENs a restful break. More for all of us to do in the New Year. We’ll be back and we’ll be on it 💪🏼💪🏽💪🏿 Police SEEN UK SEEN in the City SEEN in Schools SEEN in Publishing ⭐️

One of our members emailed Personnel Today recently about language in an article on the Darlington nurses’ fight for single-sex changing rooms which implied the nurses were targeting the trans-identified male at the centre of this case. We appreciate the editor taking on her complaint and changing the language within hours. Extracts from the complaint are below, explaining the problems. And the link is to the revised article. It’s heartening that the editor was willing to listen and act swiftly. In the absence of getting it right in the first place place, this was a great result. “I am emailing to express my concern that an article published on Personnel Today on the 3rd of December titled 'Badenoch supports call for transgender ban in single-sex spaces' is woefully misleading. The title and opening of the article describing the group of nurses as wanting "to ban transgender co-workers from entering women’s toilets and changing rooms" after being forced to undress in front of "a transgender colleague" state (or at least heavily imply) that the women are targeting a coworker on the basis of gender reassignment status; the truth is that they take issue with his alleged sexual harassment of them and their organisation's refusal to take their concerns about being forced to undress in front of a physically unaltered biological man. This is a matter of women's right to single-sex facilities that provide protection during physical vulnerability and not a situation caused by anti-transgender sentiment. I understand that the nature of the nurses' distress is acknowledged later in the article, with the coworker described as "a sexually active male" and a generous amount of space given to quotes from Bethany Hutchison and Andrea Williams, but this does not change the fact that the article is characterised from the beginning by a highly misleading title and introduction that casts the Darlington nurses in a prejudiced light. This is extremely disappointing to see from Personnel Today, especially considering your own refreshingly even-handed articles on the same topic…..” #HR #HumanResources #LanguageIsImportant #SEEN #BeMoreSEEN https://lnkd.in/ezTiy43F

Good to see Simon Fanshawe writing in HR magazine on what EDI is / should actually be about (clue: not ‘identity’ or oppressed vs. oppressor dynamics). #EDI #DEI #HR #HumanResources https://lnkd.in/eDefK2Nd

We’re saddened to hear of the experiences of staff emerging over the last couple of days at Pink News at the hands of the directors Benjamin Cohen and Anthony James. In its published work, Pink News has promoted gender ideology ferociously and has pretty much victimised those, and in particular lesbians, who hold sex realist views. Julie Bindel’s settling of a libel case against them is testament to this. It seems that a culture of harassment was also operating beyond the pages. We’re pleased to see the NHS take this action while the issues at the publication are being investigated. #PinkNews #Harassment #SexualHarrassment #HR #HumanResources https://lnkd.in/e8f4Sr5H

This week, we had a meet-up online for our members. As well as talking business and plans, we asked what people felt they gained from being a member of SEEN in HR. A big theme was reducing isolation. People can feel so alone. Here are some comments, which were so heartening to hear that we thought we’d share them here: - Finding people - so I knew I wasn't going crazy. It can be isolating. - Strengthening my voice in speaking out and up. - Finding out what's going on more quickly. - If there's trouble, there's a network of people to help. - Sense of community. Similar minded people. - I can't be a public face where I work. You can feel isolated. Being able to share in a confidential network is valuable. - Peer support. It can be so isolating. Having DEI in your team has been difficult over the last few years. - Knowledge base of the network. So many people with knowledge here and expertise. - It gives me confidence to keep going. - I had a quick 1-2-1 with a member when something came up and she gave me great support. Needed to act on something quickly and was able to do it because of that conversation. - I feel part of a soft power base that's a counter to all the madness. Resistance. Sanity. - It’s been strange to see the HR profession embrace practices and the ideological ideas that have taken hold. This group gives me hope. As one of our action committee and founding members reflected, doing the screening calls and seeing what situations people had been means it’s wonderful to hear what people are saying now about this group. It's what we hoped for and felt we wanted ourselves but you don't know when you set something up how it's going to go. If you are an HR professional perhaps feeling isolated - or in a related area such as EDI probably feeling even more isolated (!) - and you share our aims (see bio), feel free to contact us on seeninhr@gmail.com to find out about becoming a member. We have a robust screening process and membership is confidential unless you choose to share it publicly yourself. We all experience and understand challenges in this space. #HR #SEENinHR #HumanResources #BeMoreSEEN #EqualityAct

What do you do if you are disciplined by your employer for beliefs expressed in social media posts? An interesting piece on being disciplined at work for social media comments. It draws in the various protections employees have and explores this complex area for employers. #FreedomOfExpression #GenderCritical #SexRealist #SEEN #BeMoreSEEN #HR #HumanResources https://lnkd.in/eMgHAc6j

‘What is a woman?’ - an excellent blog on the appeal by For Women Scotland against Scottish Ministers, which has been heard at the Supreme Court over the last two days. Joanne Moseley sets out clearly the implications for employers in this piece. The Court is expected to give its ruling some time in the new year. We agree with Joanne Moseley in the hope that the Court uses this opportunity to define sex clearly in legal terms. This is needed for employers to feel confident and reduce risk. HR and EDI professionals would be wise to keep an eye on this important case and reflect on how it impacts upon their policies and processes. Well done to For Women Scotland for pursuing this. #SexMatters #SexNotGender #SEEN #BeMoreSEEN #HR #HumanResources https://lnkd.in/eXsFf8AX

Today, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) CIPD has notified its members of updates to its transgender and non-binary inclusion guide, first published a year ago. SEEN in HR acknowledges and appreciates CIPD’s responsiveness in updating their guidance following discussions with us, and others, about our concerns. This revision is an important step towards supporting members and organisations that rely on CIPD’s advice. We remain concerned that the previous guidance could have led organisations to overlook their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, exposing them to significant legal, financial, and reputational risks. Employment tribunal cases have repeatedly shown that such oversights often result in unfavourable outcomes for employers. While the updated guidance is a move in the right direction, SEEN in HR believes it falls short of providing the robust and practical HR support that CIPD has traditionally offered. This new approach risks creating additional costs and logistical challenges for HR departments, particularly within smaller organisations, which may lack the resources to adapt effectively. Moreover, CIPD has only communicated this change to its members, and made it accessible only to its members behind a paywall, despite the previous version being publicly accessible. We urge all HR professionals, and others where they are able, to take steps to share this updated guidance and inform all organisations that may still be relying on the outdated guidance. Without clear communication and corrective action, employers remain at risk of reputational damage, financial losses, and legal disputes. Member only access to CIPD’s guidance Supporting transgender and non-binary people at work - Guide for people professionals: https://lnkd.in/eCGZnQXv Member only monthly newsletter sent 28th November 2024: https://lnkd.in/emYjdGkG Sex Matters Police SEEN UK SEEN in Schools SEEN in the City SEEN in Publishing

Another £2000 needed for this Friday for this case challenging bullying and harassment in the Liberal Democrat Party. If you can help push this over the line, your contribution will be much appreciated. #crowdjustice #SexMatters #SexNotGender https://lnkd.in/eBFKqMbW