Have you ever heard of the “gay tax?” Google has, and they’re doing something about it.
In a post to the official Google Blog, the search engine behemoth of a company has announced two great benefits for its gay and lesbian employees starting July 1st, 2010.
First, starting today, gay and lesbian employees will receive equal FMLA benefits as their hetersexual counterparts. FMLA, or the Family & Medical Leave Act, was a piece of legislation enacted in the early 90′s to grant eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protection in the event of a qualifying event (i.e. your own illness, or a family member’s illness). The benefit is frequently criticized as discriminatory towards gay employees.
The second benefit, stemming from a recent Human Rights Campaign article, grants gay and lesbian employees at Google additional income to offset imputed taxes, or the additional taxes gay couples pay as a result of not having marriage benefits. Recent studies by the Williams institute have shown that gay couples pay on average $1,069 more than straight couples in income taxes.
Way to be, Google!
For more information on FMLA and the gay community, check out Phil Reese’s recent post.
VIDEO: Stunning Equality Adds From Argentina
With Equal Marriage Victories in California & Washington, It’s Time to Step Up in Illinois!
Gay Marriage Threatened in Canada?
It’s Time – End Marriage Discrimination
6 Comments
Comments
I know FOF loves Apple and its products (makes sense since the Apple provided the necessary tools for the success of this, fabulous, podcast), but I hope that Google’s actions make FOF’s creators think about being more Android friendly.
Why only focus on an iPod app? and not also on an app for the Android? At least with Android you are guaranteed not to be blocked/censored just becuase the content seems distasteful to Apple.
Google is consistently amongst the most gay-friendly companies in the world, and they are big advocates of freedom of speech and the free flow of information. Something vital for the gay community.
Please show Google and the Android more love FOF.
http://www.feastoffun.com/iphone/
Thanks for the comments, Google is one of the leading companies to work for LGBT employees and beyond. While I can’t speak for the site, nor for Marc & Fausto, here a few things to consider. First, when it comes to apps, Apple does have the “initial implementation lead” over the Android Market, plus controls the largest percentage of market share for smart phones.
I’m not an application developer, so I have no idea how different the process is between the two, but based on Apples anti-opensource ways, I’m guessing the developmental differences are many, with each development process requiring seperate skill sets (i.e. two different developers needed).
Secondly, such a feature as a Feast of Fun app”app,” requires development costs. What are the costs? Check out the link attached.