NurseWeek

Benefits for gay partners on the rise

By Tim Bergling
September 26, 2000


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Washington (H24N). A new study says company health benefits for gay and lesbian Americans are on the rise.

The Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign has released its annual report card on corporate America, called "State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Americans." The study shows a marked increase in companies – many of them part of the Fortune 500 – that offer domestic partnership benefits to non-heterosexual couples.

According to the study, 3,572 companies, colleges and government entities have such benefits in place, or have announced intentions to offer them. The report says that’s a 25 percent increase in just the last year, and suggests those numbers indicate a trend.

"All the signs point to private and public employers continuing to institute nondiscrimination policies and domestic partner benefits," the study says, demonstrating that American companies are prepared to go the extra mile to attract and keep qualified workers. The most dramatic example came in June, when the Big Three auto makers – DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors – joined the United Auto Workers in what the report calls a "landmark move," announcing domestic partner benefits for more than 400,000 employees.

Out of the top 10 most profitable corporations in the United States, the report found that six offered benefits that include health coverage for same-sex partners: General Motors, Ford, IBM, Citigroup, AT&T and Boeing. "The closer a company is to the top of the Fortune 500, the more likely it is to include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy," the study found. "The most successful companies in America are those that embrace diversity and work toward providing an inclusive work environment for lesbian and gay employees."