Ford took an important step to enhance diversity within the company by
jointly announcing with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler today that U.S.
employees will be offered same-sex domestic partner benefits. David
Murphy, vice president of Human Resources for Ford, talked to FCN Online
about the reasons behind the new program.
David Murphy
FCN: Why is Ford offering this benefit?
Murphy: A number of our employees, as well as the Gay Lesbian Or Bisexual Employees group (GLOBE), have asked us to consider offering this benefit. Also, this issue was raised during the negotiations in 1999 with the UAW. We, along with DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, signed a memorandum of understanding that we would work toward offering this benefit. Finally, as we look at the marketplace for talent today, we see how many other Fortune 500 companies have offered the benefit. We believe it is the right time to offer this benefit to our employees who have same-sex partners.
FCN: How does this fit in with the company's diversity effort?
Murphy: This action is supportive of our diversity effort. It provides fairness to a group of employees who are part of the diverse makeup of Ford Motor Company. I think it's a demonstration of our commitment to diversity to our employees and potential employees of Ford Motor Company.
FCN: David, you mentioned other companies. What other companies did Ford benchmark?
Murphy: We looked at a lot of other companies in the Fortune 500, such as IBM, AT&T, Lucent and American Airlines. Citibank is a company that has recently offered the same benefit. There are many, many major companies in the United States that have offered this benefit.
FCN: Why isn't this kind of benefit being extended to unmarried partners of the opposite sex?
Murphy: I think we have a very different situation there. Unmarried partners of the opposite sex are able to marry. Same gender partners, except in one state in the U.S., are not legally allowed to marry at present. That's the reason why we are restricting this to same sex domestic partners.
FCN: Isn't same-sex domestic partner benefits a moral issue that Ford should avoid?
Murphy: It may be for some people. We're simply looking at an issue of fairness, and we believe there is a group of our employees who should be offered these benefits. This is about diversity. It's about fairness. These are our employees. We are proud of their contribution to Ford Motor Company and we want to do right by them.
FCN: Are you concerned about boycotts and protests?
Murphy: I expect some feedback from a limited number of people who may not be in favor of us providing these benefits. But I think that is unlikely to be either prolonged or significant.
FCN: When do you expect these benefits to take effect?
Murphy: We are targeting August 1, but we still have some administrative issues to sort out. We will do everything in our power to make this August 1.
FCN: Is this a benefit for U.S. employees only?
Murphy: At this point in time, we are announcing this benefit for U.S. employees. It's an issue elsewhere in the world, however, so I would expect over time to see a similar benefit being offered in other countries as it is appropriate for their circumstances and their timing. We already offer this benefit in Canada.