Collection of protected characteristics data of Scottish Government employees: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for information on how government started off asking employees a question on their gender reassignment status and how this has changed to the version asked at the present time.

Response

The Scottish Government began collecting data about trans status in 2022 in relation to recruitment. The wording of the question asked of employees on the Scottish Government’s recruitment system for diversity monitoring was aligned with the Scottish Government’s Sex, gender identity, trans status - data collection and publication: guidance.

When the Scottish Government introduced a new HR system in 2024, the trans question was introduced to collect this information from all employees for the first time. The wording of the question was aligned with the Scottish Government’s Sex, gender identity, trans status - data collection and publication: guidance.

Sex, gender identity, trans status - data collection and publication: guidance.

Before then, data about trans status was not collected on the Scottish Government HR system. The Scottish Government participates in the annual UK Civil Service People Survey, which is designed and managed by the UK Government Cabinet Office. Since 2017, the People Survey has asked a specific question about gender identity. The changes to the survey questions from year to year are described in the Civil Service 2024: Quality and Methodology note.

Quality and Methodology Information for the Civil Service People Survey 2024 - GOV.UK

From 2017-2019, the gender identity question in the People Survey was: What is your gender identity?

• Male
• Female 
• I identify in another way (please specify)
• Prefer not to say

At birth, were you assigned…

• Male
• Female
• Prefer not to say

Since 2020, the wording of the UK Civil Service People Survey question asked of Scottish Government and wider UK Civil Service employees is informed by the Government Statistical Service’s Gender Identity Data Harmonisation Guidance.

Gender identity data harmonisation guidance – Government Analysis Function

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.