Attorney Jessica Kallstrom-Schreckengost recently addressed a room full of UNMC employees for a three-hour presentation on “Gender Identity and Employees in the Workplace,” a University of Nebraska-sponsored event.
Stancia Jenkins, associate to the president and assistant vice president for diversity, access and inclusion, said the university is committed to making NU not only the best place to be a student, but an employee, as well.
“This means creating an inclusive environment that allows everyone to bring their ‘full-self’ to work,” she said.
To view the presentation, click here.
“As a major employer, the University of Nebraska must be prepared to have an equitable playing field where gender identity is concerned; and make sure that every employee within our campus community is treated with dignity and respect so they are able to flourish at the university,” Jenkins said.
Kallstrom-Schreckengost said, as an attorney, her presentation usually is geared more toward human resources and legal staff: “Here’s the legal lay of the land. Here are things to be aware of.”
But she also was happy to welcome several rank-and-file UNMC employees who attended, and participated, in order to learn more about the topic.
“I thought it went really well,” she said. “This was clearly a well-informed, progressive audience.”
Kallstrom-Schreckengost, who represents management in labor and employee litigation, said she has lately seen more proactive measures by employers on the issue of gender identity, and companies hoping to do the right thing for their employees.
“It’s often outside their experience,” she said. Employers will consult their attorneys to say, “Hey, what do I do here?”
“We’re seeing fewer experiences where the employer is already in hot water,” she said.
Kallstrom-Schrekengost’s presentation was held at the UNMC Center for Nursing Science.