Internet giant Google is leading the global way forward for businesses and organisations to support equality.

Around 1,000 ‘Googlers’ took part in pride celebrations in a dozen cities around the world to show support for equality and in respect of those that have made personal sacrifices to advance recognition of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community.

The company also confirmed the famous easter egg image that regularly features on searches like ‘lgbt’, ‘marriage equality’ and ‘pride 2011’ is a celebration of pride related queries typed in to the search engine.

To techies, an easter egg is a hidden bonus inside coded inside computer software by the manufacturer triggered by a secret preset action, like pressing certain buttons on a keyboard simultaneously.

Google is also setting an example for US corporations with employees who have same-sex partners by paying benefits over and above those required by the law to promote equality.

The action is spurring other high-profile firms and organisations to reassess their equality policies. The main outcome is they pay any extra tax that their gay employees owe on health insurance for their partners as federal laws do not treat them as an economic unit in the same way as they do married couples.

Grossing up – as paying the extra benefits is known – is a special badge of pride for corporations who respect diversity and equality.

Besides Google, some of the other corporations grossing up are Apple, Facebook, Barclays and the New York Times.

“This has quickly became a litmus test among employees for how welcoming their firm was,” said Daryl Herrschaft, director of the workplace project at the Human Rights Campaign. “A lot of folks were very proud of their companies and wanted to tell a lot of people, and in doing so, it sparked some competition.”

Many other corporations have publicly voiced support for grossing up but have yet to implement the policy.  A recent article in the new York Times reckoned around 58% of Fortune 100 corporations are pro grossing up.

What is diversity?  See http://www.diversityleaders.org/our-services/what-is-diversity

Do you want more than what Equality Training or Diversity Training Courses can deliver? See Diversity at Work in the workplace http://www.diversityleaders.org/our-services/training-a-events

ClicK below to Tweet this article