Domestic Partner Benefit Offerings Continue to Spread

May 18, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - More than half of employers surveyed offer domestic partner benefits to their employees, according to Hewitt Associates.

A Hewitt announcement said that its survey of 281 US employers, Be nefit Programs for Domestic Partners and Same-Sex Spouses, found that 56% of responding employers gave such benefits to at least some of their workers – a whopping 34% hike over the past five years.

According to Hewitt, the survey highlights also included that:

  • 58% of organizations that currently offer domestic partner benefits offer benefits to both same-sex and opposite-sex partners while 39% offer benefits only to same-sex partners and 3% offer only to opposite-sex partners
  • within unionized environments, nearly seven in ten hourly union employees can cover domestic partners
  • the driving forces behind this increase in program prevalence include business reasoning and social responsibility, rather than legal requirements.

The Goodridge decision

Hewitt said that it found the impact of the May 2003 Massachusetts Goodridge decision legalizing same-sex marriage decision is now making its way into benefit programs:

  • On average, less than three employees per company enroll a same-sex spouse for medical benefits over the course of a year.

To order the report, contact the Hewitt Information Desk at 1-847-771-2500 or visit their Web site . There is a $200 charge for the survey results.

«