Culture Amp’s progress in building a trans-inclusive workplace

Culture Amp's mission is to create a better world of work, and we hold ourselves to that commitment. We want all our Campers to feel like they can bring their authentic selves to work.

In 2022, we reflected on the rise in anti-trans legislation in the U.S. and considered what we could do as a company to create a safe and equitable workplace for our trans and non-binary Campers.

While we've always prioritized creating an equitable workplace for all marginalized Campers, we recognized the need to increase our efforts to ensure that trans and non-binary Campers feel fully included. Understanding the importance of addressing their unique lived experiences, we rolled up our sleeves and set out to build processes and programs to ensure trans and non-binary Campers continue to feel seen and valued.

Society remains a challenging and often dangerous place for trans and non-binary people, and supporting this community is an increasingly polarized idea. However, since our last update on how we're working to build a trans-inclusive workplace, we’ve continued our dedicated efforts. We hope these changes are stepping stones in creating a workplace where we live by our values.

We strive to champion our Campers during their transitions

For many trans people, clothing is an essential first step in their transition. However, clothes shopping can be intimidating, disappointing, and expensive. For example, someone just beginning their transition might feel uncertain about what clothing they need or want. On top of that, financial constraints may limit their freedom to experiment, hindering their transition experience.

As the San Francisco Chronicle stated, "The right fit – whether it's a snug pair of jeans, a sequined dress or a comfy sweatshirt – can spark 'gender euphoria,' a sense of comfort or joy that can come from someone's gender expression aligning with their identity."

That's why we recently introduced a new wardrobe reimbursement benefit: a one-time $500 reimbursement to help trans and non-binary Campers build a wardrobe that aligns with their gender identity.

"We’re really committed to supporting our Campers in every aspect of their identity. Introducing this benefit was a small step with a significant positive impact. While it doesn’t cost our company much to offer, it strongly signifies our ongoing commitment to enhancing our trans and non-binary Campers’ experiences."
– Thushy Muruges, Equitable Design Lead, Culture Amp

We try to be allies both inside and outside the workplace

Being allies means taking tangible steps to support trans and non-binary people within our company and the broader community.

Internally, we've created comprehensive guidelines to support and facilitate gender transition, updated our anti-discrimination and harassment policies, and implemented privacy measures to protect our Campers' personal information. Externally, we continue to engage in initiatives like fundraising for trans and LGBTQIA+ nonprofits through our social impact initiatives and ERG events to create a supportive environment for all – and we’ve made strides.

Below are some ways we’re working toward trans equity at Culture Amp:

• We established gender transition guidelines to provide clear policies and support for transitioning employees. Through these guidelines, we hope to give them the resources and knowledge they need during their transition.
• We are developing learning pathways and workshops to educate allies and leaders on trans inclusion. This helps us ensure everyone is equipped to support trans and non-binary Campers effectively.
• Our LGBTQIA+ ERG hosts and Campers participate in fundraising events to support the trans community and extend our allyship beyond the workplace, like our 5th annual lip-sync contest, which occurs during Pride Month.

Raised funds for Transcend Australia in APAC, exceeding our target by 43.1%

Raised funds for Sparkle, The National Transgender Charity in EMEA, exceeding our target by 51.5%

Raised funds for the National Center of Transgender Equality in North America, exceeding our target by 109%

Company policies make a difference

Clear policies and employee awareness play a huge role in fostering an inclusive workplace. And we’ve designed our current policies to ensure that the identities of trans and non-binary Campers are respected and affirmed:

• To respect our trans and non-binary Campers’ privacies, our policies require everyone to obtain explicit permission from these Campers before sharing their gender identity information with others.
• We implemented a secure process that allows employees to request name changes easily. This reduces the need for back-and-forth communication and minimizes the exposure of personal information.
• We updated our anti-discrimination and harassment policies to explicitly protect trans and non-binary Campers, including requiring employees to be addressed by their correct name and pronouns. This reinforces our commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace.
• Additionally, we implemented privacy measures to ensure the confidentiality of our Campers’ personal information, which allows them to control the disclosure of their identity. For instance, Culture Amp's surveys don't analyze data from demographic groups smaller than five individuals to prevent the risk of outing any employee. Instead, we collect qualitative data to understand the experiences of these smaller groups.
• The cost of transition is upwards of $100,000 in the US – a future out of reach for many of the 1.4 million trans people in the US. To help ease the financial burden on transitioning Campers, we’ve prioritized gender-affirming healthcare that provides comprehensive coverage and support for trans and non-binary Campers to access healthcare services. Additionally, when our trans Campers cannot access gender-affirming care locally, we have an emergency support benefit that helps defray the costs of travel to access it.

Through the lens of intersectionality, we will continue to examine the company’s processes, identify areas for improvement, and make real-time course corrections. This approach allows us to identify emerging issues and address inequities proactively.

What we plan for the future

Although we are making progress, we’re just getting started in our efforts to support our trans and non-binary Campers.

Our goal is to create a workplace where every Camper feels included and celebrated. Looking forward, Culture Amp will continue to evolve our policies, benefits, and initiatives to get us closer to this vision.