Microsoft Supports Marriage Equality As "Good for Business"

In a January 19, 2012, post on the official Microsoft blog, the Redmond, Wash. software giant announced that it was supporting Washington state legislation that would legalize same-sex civil marriages.

The post, written by Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel and executive vice president for legal and corporate affairs, said, "We believe that passing this bill would be good for our business and good for the state’s economy."

Microsoft sells its products to a diverse population of customers all over the world. "To be successful," Smith wrote, "it’s critical that we have a workforce that is as diverse as our customers."

In addition, the post said, legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington would help the state's companies compete for top employees against companies in states where same-sex marriage is already legal -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont,

Microsoft is one of more than 70 companies, including Nike and RealNetworks, that publicly support the marriage-equality bill. Microsoft is also one of six major companies that signed a letter to the state legislature supporting the bill. The bill, SB6239 and HB2516, will be heard in senate and house committees on January 23, 2012. The vote is expected to be very close.

As the world changes, as more companies embrace diversity, and as federal, state and local workplace-diversity laws continue to evolve, employees need to be aware of the current legal landscape. WeComply's online workplace-diversity training course provides employees with the information they need about current laws, while encouraging them to treat everyone with respect and dignity and to recognize that diversity is good for business. 

Categories: Discrimination & Harassment Compliance
Tags: Workplace Diversity