Assignment 3 – Gender Affirming Communication Specialist due Sunday, Week 8 (Mar

Assignment 3 – Gender Affirming Communication Specialist due Sunday, Week 8 (Mar. 6)
This assignment is worth 35% of your final grade.
Congratulations! You have just been hired as the Gender Affirming Communication Specialist at a large and publicly prominent US organization. (The organization can also be multi-national and/or employ or serve persons internationally. However, the breadth of this assignment is limited to US employees and practices.)
For this final assignment, you will research, develop, and propose policies, language and procedures that are inclusive and affirming of the wide spectrum of gender choices.
Objective: Develop Gender Affirming policies and practices that the organization can adopt.
The purpose of your role is to recommend the most Gender Affirming policies and practices that the organization can choose to adopt.
The organization shall be unnamed, allowing you to select the type of organization for this assignment. You might select an organization type that you are previously, currently, or possibly aspire to be employed at. Possible examples include a major athletic organization, a university, a US military entity (the entirety of the service or a portion of the service), a U.S. government entity, a for-profit manufacturing, service, a non-profit foundation, or another type of organization. The choice is yours!
Since gender communication is evolving, and you are possibly the first such Gender Communication Specialist in the organization, you have been given a wide portfolio, and you are a direct report to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Your role will be to propose policies, language and procedures that are inclusive and affirming of the wide spectrum of gender choices. Recall that while there can be a complex interaction of gender with other identity markers such as sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class, your current portfolio focuses on gender.
For models of such aspirational organizational communication, you might search: “UCLA gender choices,” and search for other “best practices.”
The paper will be divided into several sections. Respond in an in-depth manner and include references in American Psychological Association style. A typical response could include an example of a worst practice and a contrasting best practice, and one or more references. Make no mistake, this requires some web-based research of existing organizations and not just personal opinions. You can expect to work for one hour on researching and composing an answer, for each of the following choices. A minimum response for most of the following will be ½ page, double-spaced, 12 pt. font. Type your name at the top of the first page.
1. Organizational Description
Provide a name for the organization, and a brief description of its history, mission, and assets. The organization can be actual, or fictional.
2. Human Resources:
Job Description: Write your job description for Gender Communication Specialist. Detail the specific aspects of the organization you will relate to.
Employment Application: What gender-related demographic information will future applicants be asked to supply?
Do you want to view gender-based demographic examples?
See: Fenway Health Client Registration Form https://fenwayhealth.org/care/medical/transgender-health/
(note that is form relates to health status, and not all information in this form would be requested by an employer)
3. Benefits:
Salary Equity: Stated/affirmed?
Health Services: If offered, are they gender affirming?
Do you want to learn more about affirming health services?
See: UCLA Gender Health Program Fenway Health
Employee Assistance: If offered, are they gender affirming? If not offered, what types of gender affirming services should be offered?
Health Leave: Are there specific health benefits supplied that are gender affirming?
Family Definitions: How does the organization define “family” and “marriage?” Are there specific family leave benefits supplied that are gender affirming?
4. Gender Affirming Statement:
Supply a brief statement that affirms a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and gender choices, and two such examples from your research.
5. Language:
Gender Affirming Personal Pronoun Use and Employee Choice of Name:
What is the recommended organizational policy?
Writing Style
Provide examples of the required language style that relates to identification of gender and job titles.
6. Non-verbal Communication:
What types of photos and graphics on the website would communicate a gender affirming workplace?
If there is a “dress code” –is it gender affirming? Provide an example.
7. Non-verbal Facility-based Communication:
If you were to lead a prospective employee on a tour of the main/corporate facility, what “hard architectural” features (e.g., room types, etc.) would suggest a gender- affirming environment? Include signage, bathrooms, lactation areas, etc.
8. Celebrations and Holidays:
What holidays and celebrations would the organization acknowledge?
(e.g., work requirements, or visible to a customer or prospective employee on a website. Calendar, etc.)
What is the policy about departmental celebrations that suggest gender? (e.g., gender reveals; baby showers; engagement/wedding showers)
9. Gender Communication Training:
Your office will be required to provide training to all levels of the organization: C-Suite, lower- level managers, Board of Directors, rank and file employees. What content (indicate topic areas) will you include in an online training module? What federal laws will you include?
Gender Affirmation/Equity Variables
Could there be aspects of the organization that require greater attention to gender equity and affirmation of gender differences? Indicate key variables to track. Provide an example of an organization that tracks one or more of the following factors.
(e.g., gender disparity; salary; demographicluvs, board of director composition?)