Indeed, one of the leading global job platforms, has recently announced a unique relocation aid for its employees.
The benefit, however, is specifically targeted towards employees who identify as transgender or non-binary, as well as those with children who identify as "gender non-conforming, transgender or non-binary."
The company initially revealed this relocation support internally in July, but it has only recently been discussed in the public sphere. The initiative offers a $10,000 grant to any US-based employee who seeks "gender-affirming care" but is currently residing in a region where state laws or other government directives obstruct access to such care.
"Gender-affirming care" is a term often used to describe hormone therapies and surgical procedures that align an individual's physical appearance with their gender identity. The same financial aid is also extended to employees who wish to relocate their children from areas that currently restrict access to such care.
Bloomberg reports that Indeed will also cover any tax liability resulting from the payment. This initiative appears to be a strategic move to enhance the company's ESG scores and appease LGBT activists, while also aiming to retain valuable employees.
"Our transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming colleagues are integral to our business and culture at Indeed," Misty Gaither, vice president of DEI at the company, told Axios. "We know employees thrive and do their best work when they can bring their authentic selves to work. ... We also believe that everyone has the right to make the healthcare decisions that they feel are right for themselves and their families."
Among those who have already benefited from this initiative is Sam Burger, a 30-year-old content creator at Indeed. Burger, who previously went by the name Magdalene and now uses plural pronouns, reportedly used the grant to relocate from Austin, Texas, to Denver, Colorado. According to Bloomberg, the $10,000 grant has been significantly beneficial, as the relocation has cost Burger approximately $5,000 to date.
"As soon as I found out that I was getting the money, it was very much like a weight lifted," Burger said.
However, questions remain about how the company verifies the sincerity of the applicants and whether other employees could potentially exploit the benefit by falsely claiming to identify as transgender or non-binary.
In the company's 2023 DEI report, Gaither, who is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, stated, "We're focused on making progress towards our goal to increase representation of women and underrepresented genders (URG) to 50% at all levels of Indeed's global workforce, and increase U.S. workforce representation of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities (URM) to 30% by 2030."
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