Wow ... it feels so wrong to cheer for SBC ...
The company, not the Baptists.
Telecom giants' policies ignore Kansas ban
Patrick Letellier, PlanetOut Network
published Friday, April 8, 2005
Two of the largest U.S. telecommunications companies, Sprint and SBC Communications, will continue to offer same-sex domestic partner benefits to employees in Kansas despite the overwhelming passage of a broadly worded anti-gay marriage amendment in the state this week.
On Tuesday, Kansas voters passed an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage by a 70-30 margin. The amendment defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and stated that, "No relationship, other than a marriage, shall be recognized by the state as entitling the parties to the rights or incidents of marriage."
Legal experts have warned that the latter part of the amendment may jeopardize domestic partner benefits in Kansas, mirroring battles being waged in other states. Last month Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox argued that public employers in that state cannot provide domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples because of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage passed by Michigan voters last November.
Sprint and SBC are the first companies to make clear they will continue to offer the benefits not only to their employees in Kansas, but also nationwide.
"We believe a culture of diversity and inclusion is essential to being a provider and an employer of choice," Sprint spokeswoman Jennifer Bosshardt told the PlanetOut Network. "Having domestic partner benefits is definitely an added value to the benefits package that we offer."
Based in Overland Park, on the Missouri border, Sprint is one of the largest employers in Kansas, with approximately 16,000 employees. The company began offering domestic partner benefits to gay and lesbian employees in January.
"As a Fortune 100 company, it was something we needed to do to attract, motivate and retain top talent. So it was a benefit for our employees and for our corporation as a whole," Bosshardt said.
Nearly 50 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits, and many cite the need to remain competitive in the labor market as an incentive to do so.
"It's in the best interest of a company's shareholders to provide gay people with equal benefits in the work place," said Daryl Herrschaft, deputy director of the Human Rights Campaign's WorkNet.
"What's going on in the marketplace is far different than what's going on at the ballot box, and the decision by Sprint and SBC reflects that," he said.
So ... wow. SBC and Sprint are doing the right thing. I'm so conflicted! I hate SBC (after all, they're the same company as Cingular Wireless, which I loathe), but this is an incredibly cool move on their part ...
Telecom giants' policies ignore Kansas ban
Patrick Letellier, PlanetOut Network
published Friday, April 8, 2005
Two of the largest U.S. telecommunications companies, Sprint and SBC Communications, will continue to offer same-sex domestic partner benefits to employees in Kansas despite the overwhelming passage of a broadly worded anti-gay marriage amendment in the state this week.
On Tuesday, Kansas voters passed an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage by a 70-30 margin. The amendment defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and stated that, "No relationship, other than a marriage, shall be recognized by the state as entitling the parties to the rights or incidents of marriage."
Legal experts have warned that the latter part of the amendment may jeopardize domestic partner benefits in Kansas, mirroring battles being waged in other states. Last month Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox argued that public employers in that state cannot provide domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples because of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage passed by Michigan voters last November.
Sprint and SBC are the first companies to make clear they will continue to offer the benefits not only to their employees in Kansas, but also nationwide.
"We believe a culture of diversity and inclusion is essential to being a provider and an employer of choice," Sprint spokeswoman Jennifer Bosshardt told the PlanetOut Network. "Having domestic partner benefits is definitely an added value to the benefits package that we offer."
Based in Overland Park, on the Missouri border, Sprint is one of the largest employers in Kansas, with approximately 16,000 employees. The company began offering domestic partner benefits to gay and lesbian employees in January.
"As a Fortune 100 company, it was something we needed to do to attract, motivate and retain top talent. So it was a benefit for our employees and for our corporation as a whole," Bosshardt said.
Nearly 50 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits, and many cite the need to remain competitive in the labor market as an incentive to do so.
"It's in the best interest of a company's shareholders to provide gay people with equal benefits in the work place," said Daryl Herrschaft, deputy director of the Human Rights Campaign's WorkNet.
"What's going on in the marketplace is far different than what's going on at the ballot box, and the decision by Sprint and SBC reflects that," he said.
So ... wow. SBC and Sprint are doing the right thing. I'm so conflicted! I hate SBC (after all, they're the same company as Cingular Wireless, which I loathe), but this is an incredibly cool move on their part ...
posted by R. D. Stewart at 18:57
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