How Reckitt supports their trans employees: a conversation with Erika Post

Erika Post, Raw Material Document Coordinator at Reckitt speaks to myGwork about how we can raise awareness for trans rights and issues throughout Trans Remembrance Week and beyond.

Please introduce yourself and your role within your organization.

I'm Erika Post, the Raw Material Document Coordinator for Reckitt’s manufacturing site in Michigan, USA. I help make Infant Formula!

Can you tell us about your experience transitioning? Did you receive the support you expected?

I transitioned medically and socially among my friends almost a year before finally coming out at work and fully socially transitioning. I had already been working at Reckitt for almost 8 years. I was well established as my previous identity, so it was a big leap for me to one day be... someone else, basically!

The experience that I had was like hitting a huge, scary reset button. I was well supported though. I can't express enough gratitude to the members of the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) that helped me work out a plan and bring it into reality. I have a lot of regrets about the past, and I know that, like anyone else, I'll almost certainly have more in the future, but I know with all my heart that betting on myself is one regret I'll never, ever have.

Do you think the “T” is visible enough within the LGBTQ+ community?

We're having a bit of a watershed moment in the LGBTQ+ community, aren't we? At least that's what it feels like to me in the moment. I think the unity within the community is one of our greatest strengths. It's overwhelmingly heartwarming to experience the acceptance we all have for each other.

Something non-LGBTQ+ people might not understand is that there's a lot of diversity packed into each one of those unassuming letters; they represent millions of real people each! Even among trans people, there are very different reasons that people feel that they're trans, and I've found that it can be hard for us to understand each other at times. Even so, I believe that what we know for sure is that we're in it together!

What advice would you give to allies to be (more) trans inclusive?

Once again, there's a lot of diversity within the trans community. We transition for many different reasons, and they are often, if you can imagine, deeply personal. It stands to reason then, that you may not always understand the feelings that a trans person has. Even someone who's out, like any other person, may not have their identity worked out just yet, so I think that patience, understanding, and a willingness to let someone just be themselves even (or perhaps especially) when you don't really understand what they want or need. I know that sounds a bit dull; it's really just commonplace decency, but the vulnerable among us need it the most!

What advice would you give to organisations to be (more) trans inclusive?

Don't give up on us! I think this one is easy to see; I certainly wouldn't be able to work for a company that's openly antagonistic to inclusivity. In my personal journey, I had to work very hard to open up to my own self, so it was invaluable to know from the start that even if I did face the worst here in the workplace, that someone would have my back. In a world where there are organizations that vow to expunge all things "woke", being open about acceptance is miles ahead. Also, knowing that I'm not alone in what I've done, that there are other people just like me who have made it through to the other side and are celebrated for it is incredibly helpful.

What can we all do to raise awareness of trans human rights year-round?

There are always ways to get involved, if it's something you want to do. Even in West Michigan where I'm from, there's an LGBTQ+ organization to be involved in.

Have you always been out in the workplace?

I wasn't! Not until just this year, in fact. I had been coming to work as a very different self for nearly 8 years until I finally came in one day a new woman! I'm remarkably fortunate that my colleagues were very acceptive of my new identity. Every step I took of course was laced with uncertainty, or even downright terrifying to have to undertake. None of us know what the future holds, after all. Even so, with every step I took, I always saw the fear that I once held give way to the almost childlike joy of stepping into a new reality; one that after all these years finally feels closer to the true me than ever before. Please forgive the platitude, but as it turns out, my biggest obstacle had always been my own self!

What do you think are the next steps for further inclusion?

Now isn't that a million-dollar question! Trans people have always been here, and we'll always continue to be here. Be there for your trans colleagues, friends, and family! Be cognizant of our struggles but don't forget to celebrate the victories too!