In somewhat surprising, albeit welcome (and confirmed) news, Walmart will be offering benefits to domestic partners (including same sex partners!!) beginning January 1, 2014. Per a memo leaked to Towle Road, Walmart will be offering a “full suite of our benefits” in order to stay competitive in the marketplace.
We operate in 50 states, hundreds of municipalities, and Puerto Rico, and as clarified under the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) each of these states are developing different definitions of marriage, domestic partner, civil union, etc. By developing a single definition for all Walmart associates in the U.S. and Puerto Rico we are able to ensure consistency for associates in various markets.
In order to remain competitive in terms of attracting and retaining great talent to our company, we’re extending our benefits package to include domestic partners.“
Being that Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S. with over 1.3 million employees, this is really, really good news. And while there is no shortage of employment issues with this company, it’s good to know that they are doing the right thing here.
[Via ThinkProgress]
