December 14, 2010 - New York Times

A Progress Report on Gay Employee Health Benefits

By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD

Updated chart | Dec. 16

A growing number of companies are covering the extra costs that same-sex couples pay for domestic partner benefits — and even more companies are thinking about it. So wefve decided to keep track of who is doing what in a chart at the bottom of this post.

While many companies offer domestic partnership coverage — an important benefit on its own since same-sex couplesf unions are not recognized by the federal government — some pioneering organizations are extending an even more generous policy. Theyfre essentially reimbursing gay employees for the extra taxes they may incur as a result of that coverage, something that married heterosexual people donft have to worry about.

Why is this an issue? Gay and lesbian employees who are lucky enough to work at places that have domestic partner coverage are taxed on the value of those benefits (if the partner is not considered a dependent). A handful of companies cover those extra costs, but not until Google adopted that policy earlier this year did the movement to equalize benefits begin to gain traction. Apple is the latest boldface name to join the effort.

A provision within a draft of the health care overhaul bill would have eliminated the tax, but it was ultimately dropped. The Human Rights Campaign said it continued to work on getting a bill passed, but until that happens — if it ever does — employees or their employers must pay the extra tax. (Many companies will cover the costs only for same-sex partners, since opposite-sex couples have the option to marry.)

gCompanies that are doing the right thing are doing so at a cost to themselves, and the simplest way to address this inequity is to have the law changed to support or make it easier for them to have equal benefits,h said Daryl Herrschaft, director of the Human Rights Campaignfs Workplace Project.

Several readers sent us tips on companies that decided to make the change, and they appear on the list below. We also called several large companies that publicly supported the legislation — as part of a coalition led by the Human Rights Campaign — and asked if they planned to adopt the policy, even in the absence of a law.

The biggest deterrent, of course, is the cost. Many companies support efforts to eliminate the tax altogether, but theyfre unwilling to cover the costs employees now face.

Wish your companyfs name was on the list with a gYesh next to it? The Human Rights Campaign has a proposal and other information on its Web site that employees can use to help build their case. Please continue to send us more names of companies that have added this benefit or specifically declined to do so, or drop them in the comment section below. Wefll update our chart accordingly.

Herefs what the companies said:

Technology Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Google Yes
2. Facebook Yes, in 2011
3. Apple Yes, in 2011
4. Cisco Yes
5. Microsoft No Awaiting response
6. Motorola No No
7. Intel Awaiting response
8. Hewlett-Packard Declined to comment Declined to comment
9. I.B.M. Awaiting response
Financial Services Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Barclays Yes, in 2011
2. Bank of America Awaiting response
3. Citigroup No Declined to comment
4. JPMorgan Chase No Continues to monitor situation
5. Goldman Sachs No Declined to comment
6. Morgan Stanley No Currently reviewing
7. Capital One Awaiting response
8. Charles Schwab No No current plans
9. Prudential Financial No Declined to comment
10. State Street No No
Insurance Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Aetna Awaiting response
2. The Chubb Corp. No No plans at this time
3. Nationwide No Currently assessing
4. MetLife No No
5. CNA Awaiting response
Cable/Wireless Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Time Warner Awaiting response
2. Verizon Awaiting response
3.
4.
5.
Consumer-related Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Discovery Channel Yes
2. Nike Awaiting response
3. Best Buy Awaiting response
4. General Mills Awaiting response
5. Levifs No No plans at this time
6. Miller-Coors No No
7. Eastman Kodak Awaiting response
8. Herman Miller No No
9. Texas Instruments Awaiting response
10. The New York Times No No
Nonprofit Organizations Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Gates Foundation Yes
2. Unitarian Universalist Association Yes (since 1994)
3. TIAA-CREF Awaiting response
4.
5.
Consulting Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Bain & Co. Yes, in 2011
2. Boston Consulting Group Yes, probably in 2011
3. Ernst & Young No Currently evaluating
4. PricewaterhouseCoopers Awaiting response
5. Deloitte Awaiting response
6. KPMG No Declined to comment
Drug and Medical Companies Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Medtronics No Currently evaluating
2. Merck No Currently evaluating
3. GlaxoSmithKline Awaiting response Awaiting response
4.
5.
Travel-related Reimburses
Now
Plans to Adopt
Policy
1. Kimpton Hotels Yes
2. Marriott No No current plans
3. American Airlines Awaiting response
4. Delta Airlines Awaiting response
5. -
Law Firms Reimburses Now Plans to Adopt Policy
1. Morrison & Foerster Yes, in 2011
2. McDermott, Will & Emery Yes, in 2011
3.