Up on the Soapbox

Up on the Soapbox

Since Lorene was on her soapbox today about employees who take advantage of the fact that they have children and use it to inconvenience the rest of us, I thought I would blog about one of my pet peeves in the workplace.

I am single in the eyes of my employer. Now, granted, I am protected from discrimination because I identify as lesbian. But I feel I am seriously discriminated against because of my legal marital status.

Employees who have a legal spouse and/or children are offered insurance and benefits to cover them. I do not have that option. The U shoulders the majority of the cost of those benefits. If you have children and a spouse and put them on your insurance, the U pays for it.

For example: let's say my coverage costs the U about $100 a month. I pay about $30 a month for the coverage. So, the U is paying $70 for me in the way of benefits. That's income - insentive - for me to be employed. However, if I was married with children, that premium is significantly increased - to about $250 a month, with the employee paying about $75 of that. Not to mention the ability to take sick leave for a spouse or child, funeral leave for a spouse or child, memberships to organizations, etc. But I digress...

Most employers offer a similar package to lure people to work for them. But it's highly discriminatory in the fact that if you are married with children, the employer will pay MORE money to cover them on insurance. In the above example, the employer would pay about $175 to cover a married parent vs $70 for me.

I want the same benefits as anyone else here. The only way they could make it truly fair is to pay me the difference.

I want a check for $2,100. That's what they would pay someone of the same skill set doing the same job who was legally married. Do they do a better job worthy of an additional $2,100 anually? No. Then they shouldn't be paid the additional money because of their life choices.

Refuse to offer me partner benefits? Fine. Then pay me the difference in cash. I will accept it.