Tuesday 27 July 2010

Burned the boats

    Yesterday morning I handed in my resignation from my current employer. It all went very smoothly, not without some regret on my part but my employer is a nice bloke and we will part on good terms.
    I also filled in the online health survey for my new employer, operated through a private health consultancy. It makes no sense to withhold anything, especially when they have an "Anything else you're being treated for" box, so I added "gender dysphoria" and sent it on its way.
    This morning I received a phone call from them. Oh crap. Surprisingly she wanted to talk mostly about my height. I work with a computer, the questions mostly centred around my requirement for a larger-than-average chair. I've never had anyone offer me this before, very novel.
    Then the biggie. "How far are you along the path of transition?". I don't think they'd ever talked to someone who's not transitioning, so I had to explain in detail my position and that while I couldn't rule out transitioning in the future (I'm told for legal purposes that statement is the one that covers my arse) I'm staying a bloke. All pretty straightforward and businesslike, but strangely unsettling. I'm not worried about the job, I know the employer is trans-friendly and anyway my arse is covered under the DDA, it's just the feeling that it's all so real somehow. I've burned my boats here, yet don't quite feel I've landed there yet if you see what I mean.
    She asked me whether I needed any special facilities with respect to my GD at work, to which the answer was no. I decided now was not the time to make any jokes. Fortunate really, that and the fact my job's office based. I could have made their lives hell, had I demanded female-appropriate safety footwear in an impossible-to-find size 15.

12 comments:

  1. You have made my day with my petite size tens!

    What a relief to start with all cards on the table.

    Chair and posture so important, us tall creatures are more fragile than we look.

    Caroline xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a good start :)

    I can't think of anything you could have done to make life easier for your current employer - the main thing is to make sure you leave on good terms :)

    Can you get femail appropriate saftely footware in any size? Surely a steel toe capped boot is a steel toe capped boot whether it's in a 15 or a more average size?

    Stace

    ReplyDelete
  3. I looked up female safety footware on our suppliers website. The only thing I could find which didn't look like a mans shoe where these safety court shoes.

    I must admit I wouldn't be seen dead in them :-) You're lucky, they only go up to size 8.

    Good luck with your new job. Welcome to the ranks of the corporate drones.

    Rachel X

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks all, it certainly seems to be starting well. And no secrets which is good.

    TBH I had no idea whether ladies safety footwear was available, it was merely mentioned for comedic effect. I don't work anywhere I need blokes safety boots so it's not something I knew much about. But thanks for that, now I know. Such chic designs, gosh I wish I had an employer that spoiled me in that style! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have difficulty finding shoes in size 10 ish that have any style and are affordable, no sales prices in these sizes!

    One company often has a special run of new elegant styles not even for the normal range of sizes!

    If anyone needs styling to make the foot look more petite it is those of us with unpetite feet. There must be a huge untapped market for the first to bother making shoes for the desperate.

    And if they had steel toecaps too...

    Rachel's courts would not look too bad with a greasy boiler suit.

    Caroline xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Safety footwear does at least not attract VAT.

    I couldn't agree with you more on the untapped market, both male and female, for those of larger foot. There are still companies that think "Take the size 8 and stretch it in the middle" is good enough. I'm looking at you, Magnus!

    Have you found After 8? http://www.after8shoes.co.uk/

    Also Walktall, http://www.walktall.co.uk, who made such a difference to the availability for blokes, are launching a ladies range for which I have high hopes. They have proved themselves to be good on the customer service, also on finding good styles. Currently only ladies stuff is on their ebay store, but when it comes to their mainstream store it's worth a look.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shall have to investigate after 8, do they come with a minty aroma?

    Thanks.

    Caroline xxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a proactive employer you have found! They know your secret and don't care; how cool is that?!

    Plus, they provide giant furniture. What else could you ask for?

    ReplyDelete
  9. We don't burn boats in America. We burn bridges, and we're very good at it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. As long as none of us burn our fingers.

    As I've said before, compared to many I'm damned lucky in my situation, this employer is only part of it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You had me both laughing and jealous with this post, Jenny. What a great place to work for. The chair thingie is a nice touch.

    Now about those shoes...

    Oh, and congratulations on the new gig, girlfriend!

    Calie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks!

    The job's such a good fit, I can still scarcely believe it.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.