Truly inclusive

by Doris Dumlao-Abadilla INQ

There are more and more companies that talk about gender diversity, equality and inclusion these days, but not enough are warming up to nontraditional relationships and family structures when it comes to the provision of benefits to their workers.

The Aboitiz Group is one of the few to openly recognize LGBTQ+ or common-law partners and extend to them the medical benefits due to dependents of employees. Starting Aug. 15, Aboitiz Equity Ventures team members with a legal civil status of “single” were given the option of listing their LGBTQ+ or common-law partners as one of their dependents under their health insurance policy. As a listed dependent, these partners are entitled to the same medical coverage as the spouse of a legally married team member.

The new policy is seen as a testament to the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to its sustainability journey. The policy supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 5: Reducing Inequalities.

“The Aboitiz Group is committed to building and nurturing a culture where its team members are celebrated for their individuality and diversity. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ and common-law partners into our team members’ healthcare dependents is just one way the Group shows how we value and respect each team member’s individuality, and how we are sensitive to their needs. As an equal opportunity employer, we are an innovative company that embraces a progressive culture—one that recognizes team members as valued drivers of organizational success,” Aboitiz Group president and chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz said.

Apart from supporting UN SDG 5, the new policy comes as one of the many products of the Aboitiz group’s “REMIX” program, inspired by the book “The Remix” by Lindsey Pollak.

The program aims to future-proof the organization by encouraging senior team leaders and junior team members to share ideas, insights, and suggestions on how to improve—or “remix”—internal policies or processes. Recent outputs of the REMIX program involve addressing team members’ individual needs on mental health by providing counselling sessions and mental health awareness sessions, and the inclusion of mental health concerns for medical leaves.