On the occasion of International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), Johnson & Johnson India makes the announcement of extending family benefits to same gender partners and underlines its commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community.

Given that Johnson & Johnson believes in an ecosystem that is fair and embraces diversity, making family benefits more gender inclusive was the next obvious step. 

Sarthak Ranade, Johnson & Johnson D&I Sponsor and Managing Director, Janssen India said, “Diversity and inclusion is a reality of how we live and work at Johnson and Johnson India and is deeply rooted in the values instilled by our Credo. Open&Out, our global internal program that comes under the Employee Resource Group (ERG) has been making great efforts to promote equal access to opportunities for all our people in every corner of J&J. The inclusion of same gender partners in the Mediclaim and other policies will advance the culture of inclusion and create a better employee experience.”

“We believe in making inclusion real, and are offering equal benefits for LGBTQ employees to include various family benefits including Mediclaim cover to same-gender partners,” said Emrana Sheikh, Head - Human Resources, Johnson & Johnson India. 

When such coverage is difficult for a standalone LGBTQ+ customer, Sheikh feels it becomes much easier if the company takes the responsibility. “Johnson & Johnson wants to provide a safe and welcoming work environment that supports every individual in feeling proud, integrated and equal,” she added. 

A few months ago in December 2019, Tata Steel had also taken a similar step and introduced a new human resource policy that enables its employees from the LGBTQ+ community to declare their partners and avail all HR benefits permissible under the law. Other companies like Intuit, Visa, CIA, Uber and Google have taken many initiatives to empower the LGBTQ+ community and create a more inclusive workplace. For instance, With UberPride, the company is building a diverse and inclusive workplace specifically focused on making LGBTQ individuals feel welcomed.Visa has expressed support for the United Nations Standards for LGBTI, a best-practice guide for policies and practices for LGBTI employees and inclusive workplaces and aim to inculcate inclusivity in every conversation. Intuit goes beyond their company culture and runs many initiatives to increase awareness in the community. 

While many companies have now joined the league of having inclusive family benefits, the road ahead for LGBTQ employee benefits has only just begun.