Google says it will pay homosexual employees who include domestic partners on their health insurance plans more money to make up for the federal taxes they pay on that benefit, Fox News reports.
The company has revealed it will be compensating employees for taxes paid on domestic partners' health benefits - but only if they're gay.
The company said in its blog on Thursday, that it will be "grossing-up imputed taxes on health insurance benefits for all same-sex domestic partners in the United States."
In other words, the company will be paying homosexual employees who include domestic partners on their health insurance plans more money to make up for the federal taxes they pay on that benefit. (Married couples don't have to pay taxes on spousal health benefits.)
But under Google's new policy, the company isn't offering any extra pay to heterosexual domestic partners, because it says heterosexual employees have the option of avoiding the tax by getting married.
Daryl Herrschaft, director of the Workplace Project at Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, says Google's policy is a step in the right direction.
{{/usCountry}}Daryl Herrschaft, director of the Workplace Project at Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, says Google's policy is a step in the right direction.
{{/usCountry}}The company says its new health benefits compensation will be retroactive to January 1, 2010.
Google denied requests to comment any further on the policy.