Friday, September 27, 2013

Exxon to Offer Benefits to Same-Sex Couples



1) http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/labor/exxon-to-offer-benefits-to-same-sex-couples-in-us/nZ85k/

2) Category of problem: Social 
3) Level of problem: National
4) The article concerns: Sam-sex couples receiving proper and equal health benefits in their workplace 

5) How does it affect individuals/families? It allows legally married sam-sex couples to receive health care benefits in there work place. His or her spouse will be eligible for benefits with Exxon in the U.S. as of October 1st of this year.

6) What are your opinions on the issue? I believe that Exxon is making the right decision to offer benefits to legally married same-sex couples who work for their company, and I feel like more big and small named companies should follow in their foot steps. It is ridiculous for same-sex couple who have the same relationships or better relationships that heterosexual couples to not receive the proper benefits simple because they are a same-sex couple. It's great to see companies make changes to fit the needs of their employees for the sake of their employees, not based on who they go home to. My only concern with this article and the company, is that Exxon has been criticized for declining to offer same-sex benefits or explicitly ban discrimination against gay and transgender workers at a time when many other big companies, including rival oil companies, have done so. But at the same time, you have to consider the fact that they have obviously changed their policies and are currently on the path to help, not hurt their employees. According to the article, in a ranking this year of corporate anti-discrimination policies to protect gay, lesbian and transgender workers by the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay-rights group, Exxon ranked last, which didn't sit well with me either. In some areas of the article it seems like a big scheme, like they're providing all of these benefits to sam-sex couples, while at the same time not exactly hiring people in sam-sex relationships to begin with, but that might just be me thinking the worst in a company trying to make a change for the better after not making the best choices in the past.

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