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BellSouth Corporation Announces
Domestic Partner Benefits

Low-Costs are Cited with High-Impact in Tight Labor Market

Good Business Practice is Increasingly Discovered Nationwide

Compiled by GayToday

Atlanta, Georgia--BellSouth Corporation has become the last of the former Baby Bells to announce domestic partner benefits, another sign that these benefits are a sound business practice, the Human Rights Campaign said Friday.

BellSouth, based in Atlanta, announced to its employees that it would extend health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of its managerial employees beginning July 1, 2001.

Bell South President & CEO Jere Drummond (right) led the council that recommended the policy change

"BellSouth's announcement brings it in line with practices at all of the other former Baby Bells and points to the spread of these benefits through whole market sectors, such as auto manufacturing, consulting and the airlines," said Kim I. Mills, HRC's education director, who oversees HRC WorkNet.

"Across America, companies are discovering that these benefits are a low-cost, high-impact benefit in a tight labor market."

Several of the original seven Baby Bells had implemented domestic partner benefits before merging with other telecommunications companies. So, for example, Bell Atlantic had the benefits before it merged with GTE to form Verizon Communications, and Ameritech and Pacific Bell had them before they merged with Southwestern Bell to form SBC Communications. Also, US West had Domestic Partner benefits before it merged with Qwest Communications.

"With BellSouth's announcement, the telecommunications industry follows the domino effect we have seen in other major industry sectors," Mills said.

"Just this year, for example, the Big Three automakers all announced Domestic Partner benefits, the last of the Big Five accounting firms did so and eight of the 10 largest passenger airlines have done so as well." (The two exceptions are TWA and Alaska Airlines.)

BellSouth's benefit plan will cover: health insurance (medical, dental, employee assistance and extended benefits coverage); life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; and family and medical leave, according to an announcement in an internal company newsletter. A copy was obtained by HRC.

"We know that to remain competitive, we must attract and retain a work force that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve," Jere Drummond, co-chair of the Chairman's Diversity Council, said in the newsletter.

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"To do so, we continuously work with employee groups to ensure that we have excellent and relevant benefits that fit their lives," The council was established two years ago by BellSouth Chairman and CEO Duane Ackerman.

BellSouth's policy applies only to non-union employees. Craft employees covered under collective bargaining agreements with the Communications Workers of America will have to negotiate for the same benefits.