This study investigates how cisnormativity embedded in workplace structures affects trans* individuals, with a particular focus on the expression and reception of voice. It explores how HR professionals engage with the challenges and career development of trans* employees, moving beyond silencing to consider systemic responses to their voiced experiences.
A qualitative methodology was employed, combining in-depth interviews with trans* workers and a focus group with cisgender HR professionals. Interview data were thematically analysed to extract key excerpts, which were then used as discussion prompts in the focus group. The HR professionals’ responses were examined using critical discourse analysis to uncover dominant narratives and underlying social practices.
Trans* participants identified key institutional barriers across three areas: documents, coming out process, and normalisation and passing. HR professionals’ discourses revealed difficulties in understanding trans* identities, as well as the presence of epistemic injustice.
This study highlights the dual dimensions of voice, expression and reception, in the context of trans* experiences at work. It offers a novel methodological approach that bridges trans* narratives and cis HR discourse and provides insights for fostering more affirming environments. Theoretically, the study contributes to debates on trans* inclusion, employee voice and epistemic injustice by showing that voice is not only a matter of whether trans* employees can speak, but also of whether organisational actors are able and willing to understand, recognise and act upon what is voiced.
