199. The Truth and Lies of Trans Inclusion at Work, with Sophie Wood

Warning: This episode contains references to discrimination, suicide, and mental health struggles. Please listen with care. Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning psychology podcast from the HubSpot Podcast Network — hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott. This week, we’re talking about one of the most misunderstood (and often avoided) topics in people management: how to support transgender colleagues in your workplace. Our guest is Sophie Wood — trainer, speaker, and trans woman with over 13 years of lived workplace experience. She’s here to answer the questions most managers have — but are too afraid to ask. This isn’t a lecture on political correctness. It’s a step-by-step, fully human guide to making your workplace psychologically safe, legally sound, and genuinely inclusive. 💡 Key Takeaways from Sophie Wood – The law gives choice, not orders: Despite media panic, no new legal requirement forces employers to exclude anyone — use your company values, not fear, to guide decisions. – Definitions made simple: “Trans” is about movement, “cis” is about congruence, and most of us live on a spectrum — not in fixed boxes. – Bathrooms aren’t the issue: Sophie’s experience shows most trans employees fear causing trouble far more than becoming it. – Mess up? It’s okay: Intent matters more than perfect wording. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on. – Rethink your training: Most DEI sessions reinforce “otherness”. Sophie’s frame-of-reference exercise helps teams connect through shared humanity instead. – Psychological safety is practical: Letting people say things out loud helps them process — and prevents negativity from spiralling. – Allyship isn’t optional anymore: Inclusion isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about seeing the human being, not just the label. 🔗 Connect with Sophie Wood LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-wood-deib-mhfa/ Mental Health First Aid Training: https://belongingbase.com/mental-health-first-aid **Editor's Note** In this episode, the hosts reference Sophie Wood as a former police officer. To clarify, Sophie worked as police staff, not as a police officer. 🧠 Need More Support? Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ Mental Health at Work: https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ Samaritans: Call 116 123 (UK) or email [email protected] 💬 Connect with Al & Leanne Truth, Lies & Work on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne Email: [email protected] Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat 🎧 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a colleague, leave a review, or connect with us online. It’s time we made inclusion make sense — for everyone.