Many employers are still figuring out how to achieve LGBTQ inclusivity in the workplace, and for Zappos, this starts with health care benefits.
Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer, uses the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index as a guide when crafting inclusive benefits and policies. While the index is specifically intended to help health care facilities promote equality among employees and patients, Zappos uses the standard to ensure it isn’t unintentionally discriminating against members of the LGBTQ community. For Zappos, this means fully covered health insurance premiums, six weeks of parental leave for all parents regardless of their history of parenthood, and lifetime fertility benefits that cover the cost of treatment and medications.
“The Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index is a response to the health care barriers faced by LGBTQ+ Americans,” said Cody Britton, co-lead of Zappos’ LGBTQIA+ ERG, LGBT-Z. “Taking inspiration from this benchmark, Zappos offers a comprehensive health and wellness benefits package that is inclusive of all LGBTQ+ individuals.”
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The Health Equality Index outlines the benefits an establishment must have in place to be considered an inclusive workplace. For example, employers must offer same-sex partner health benefits and provide equal family formation benefits to all employees, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. Also included are paternity leave with no exclusions based on biological or adoptive status, and bereavement leave for same-sex partners. Most recently, the index called on employers to provide a benefits guide to new LGBTQ hires. Zappos has achieved all of the above.
Britton knows firsthand that Zappos’ approach to benefits has a real impact on employees: Zappos’ health insurance and IVF benefits allowed her to give birth to her daughter.
“Without it [those] “If we didn’t have benefits, we would never have been able to bring her into the world,” she said. “As you know, IVF is pretty expensive, and just having some of that cost covered by our amazing benefits has literally been life-changing.”
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Britton notes that the push for comprehensive health benefits has led to other health benefits being included, such as pet insurance, gym perks, and emergency child care assistance. But the Human Rights Campaign’s influence doesn’t stop there. With the additional backing, the index has established additional criteria to encourage companies to go the extra mile. The provisions are primarily focused on educating employees about the LGBTQ community and creating communities, such as ERGs, where queer employees can voice their opinions and concerns.
For Zappos, this could be things like a Transgender Day Visibility Chat where trans and cisgender employees can share their experiences, or a book club between the LGBT-Z ERG and the women’s ERG.
“Education efforts are essential to creating a safe and inclusive work environment,” Britton says. “More knowledge leads to better connections with employees and helps maintain company culture.”
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Britton advises employers to prioritize inclusivity at a foundational level, not just at a customer-facing level. That means a social media post or one Pride event in June doesn’t make a company LGBTQ-friendly. Britton stresses that if companies want to truly develop strong businesses, they need to build inclusivity into their employee benefits and educational opportunities.
“Zappos isn’t my first job, but it is the first where I wasn’t afraid to speak my mind,” Britton says. “I’ve never felt like I couldn’t talk about my life, my wife or my girlfriend, or any other part of myself. The diversity of the people who work here is incredible, and that’s what makes us special.”
