A Study of Thai Transgender Employee’s Perceptions of Discrimination at Work and Their Job Attitudes and Wellbeing

Abstract

This research examined the work experiences of transgender employees in Thailand. The objectives were to 1) learn about the experiences of transgender employees and how they are treated in their workplaces; 2) assess transgender employees’ wellbeing at work and 3) determine transgender employees’ job satisfaction, commitment, and turnover intentions. This research was conducted as a qualitative study to gain insights into the issues facing transgender employees in Thai workplaces. Data was collected during a series of interviews (n = 11) with a purposively selected sample of transgender workers representing a wide variety of industries. Content analysis was employed for analyzing interview data. The results indicated that the experiences of transgender employees in Thailand are mixed. While they are typically well-treated by supervisors, some have been harassed or disrespected by colleagues, all have experienced hiring discrimination during hiring, and several noted that laws and benefits programs are often discriminatory toward transgender people. Some transgender employees describe themselves as satisfied and others as disengaged from their work. Those who are satisfied are more likely to show commitment to their organizations as indicated by positive attitudes and emotional attachment to them. On the other hand, those who are disengaged show no commitment to their organizations and are more likely to seek other work due to unhappiness with their jobs. The problems that negatively affect transgender employees’ wellbeing, satisfaction, and organizational commitment could be mitigated by eliminating the systemic discrimination (particularly hiring discrimination) that leads to high rates of unemployment and poverty for transgender people, and by changing negative societal and workplace attitudes.