Hong Kong, Aug 27 (DPA) A bank worker assigned a “genderless toilet” by his employer HSBC after he started dressing as a woman in the first stage of a sex change has logged a complaint against the banking giant, a news report said Thursday.
The 55-year-old senior IT manager claims he has been not been able to use either the men’s or ladies’ staff toilets since he officially switched genders at the beginning of August.
Instead, he claims his employer has assigned him a “genderless toilet” in an act of discrimination against him.
The worker, surnamed Wong, is currently taking female hormone tablets and is set to have the sex change operation in November, the report in the Hong Kong Standard said.
In the meantime, he claims he should be allowed to use the female washroom and has taken his fight to the Equal Opportunities Commission.
He also claims he has suffered discrimination in the office because of his gender switch and is afraid he will lose his job.
Wong said his requests for a departmental transfer and early retirement have been ignored and his performance rating has been downgraded.
His complaint is now before the Equal Opportunity Commission and awaits an official response from the bank.
A HSBC spokesperson told the Standard the company was aware of the situation but stressed that the HSBC treats all employees with the same respect.
