BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE OFFERS SAME-SEX DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS
April 26, 2001, Bloomfield, NJ - Bloomfield College is pleased to announce that it recently began offering health and dental insurance, as well as tuition reimbursement, to same-sex domestic partners of faculty and staff. These benefits are identical to those offered to heterosexually married employees.
“Domestic partner benefits are the hallmark of progressive employers that value diversity and strive to promote equity,” said Louise Walpin, a Bloomfield College nursing instructor and member of the College’s Gay/Non-Gay Alliance. “These benefits are highly ranked as recruitment/retention strategies, as well as a way to increase employee satisfaction and productivity by decreasing financial stress.”
Some of the many other organizations that offer domestic partner benefits include the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, Princeton University, Children’s Hospital of Boston, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Montefiore Medical Center, Chrysler Corporation, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company and Time Warner.
At Bloomfield College, and many other workplaces, benefits comprise a significant portion of an employee’s compensation. The ability to cover one’s spouse through an employer is an expectation few would challenge, yet until recently gay and lesbian employees in committed relationships could not avail themselves of this form of remuneration.
“The extension of benefits to these couples is an example of the administration’s commitment to provide a workplace free of all forms of discrimination, including that of sexual orientation,” said Janice Cecere, Associate Director of Human Resources at the College.
“I am one of several employees who has availed myself of these benefits,” said Walpin. “My partner and I have been living together in a committed relationship for 12 years; we have joint ownership of all assets and expenses and were religiously married in a ceremony conducted by a Rabbi in August 1992. Since my partner is self-employed, the cost of her health insurance was astronomical and she was unable to get dental coverage prior to the change in the Bloomfield College policy.”
Walpin and her domestic partner, Marsha, brought in the proof required to substantiate their status, which included a signed and notarized affadavit stating that they had been living together in a committed relationship for at least one year, and were jointly responsible for their basic living expenses.
Other employees have similarly registered their same-sex domestic partner for health, dental and/or tuition benefits.
“In addition to having a significant impact on our cost of living, these benefits clearly operationalize the College’s mission statement and concretely demonstrate administrative commitment to promoting equity and recognizing common humanity in a multicultural world,” said Walpin.
