If you're a "socially conservative" nutcase. Via Pam's House Blend, an interesting story about how Google is addressing some of the disparities in benefits between straight and gay couples (from NYT)
On Thursday, Google is going to begin covering a cost that gay and lesbian employees must pay when their partners receive domestic partner health benefits, largely to compensate them for an extra tax that heterosexual married couples do not pay. The increase will be retroactive to the beginning of the year. . .
Google is not the first company to make up for the extra tax. At least a few large employers already do. But benefits experts say Google’s move could inspire its Silicon Valley competitors to follow suit, because they compete for the same talent.
The tax disparity is over $1,000 a year.
Several other companies have similar programs, and I suspect others will follow suit -- I remember when less than a dozen of the Fortune 500 had gay-inclusive non-discrimination policies -- it's now something like 450.
The Dobson Gang is going to hate this. And the funny part is, it's just good business.
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