The problem and the solution . Lesbian and gay (LG) employees experience work—life challenges due to exclusionary language and social norms that ignore the existence of their families; denial of medical, retirement, and leave benefits; and sexual orientation discrimination that can raise legitimate fears about job loss and family survival.A supportive and inclusive work culture is needed for employers to build loyalty, increase retention, and enable employees to perform at their peak.This article examines work—life benefits at 10 public universities.Work—life benefits are often taken for granted by the vast majority of employees within an organization because the inequitable application of these benefits across all kinds of employees remains invisible.Thus,work—life benefits inequitably applied have the potential to significantly damage the performance, psyche, financial status, and well-being of LG employees and their families. Recommendations for changes in organizational practices, policies, and language are provided.
Badgett, M.V.L. (2001). Money, myths, and change: The economic lives of lesbians and gay men. Chicago: University of Chicago.
2.
Badgett, M.V.L. (2007). Unequal taxes on equal benefits: The taxation of domestic partner benefits. The Williams Institute and Center for American Progress. Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/home.html
3.
Bond, J.T., Galinsky, E., & Swanberg, J.E. (1998). The 1997 national study of the changing workforce. New York: Families and Work Institute. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://www.familiesandwork.org
4.
Bornstein, L. (2000). Inclusions and exclusions in work-family policy: The public values and moral code embedded in the Family and Medical Leave Act. Columbia Journal of Gender and the Law, 10, 77-124.
5.
Capers, I.B. (1991). Sex(ual orientation) and Title VII. Columbia Law Review, 91, 1158-1187.
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 (2006).
8.
Farrell, E.F., & Van Der Werf, M. (2007, May 25). Playing the rankings game. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://chronicle.com/free/v53/i38/38a01101.htm
9.
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K.I., & Scharlach, A.E. (2001). Families and work: New directions in the twenty-first century. New York: Oxford University Press.
10.
Galinsky, E., & Johnson, A.A. (1998). Reframing the business case for work-life initiatives . New York: Families and Work Institute . Available from http://www.familiesandwork.org
11.
Glassman, K.M. (2004). Balancing the demands of the workplace with the needs of the modern family: Expanding family and medical leave to protect domestic partners. University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform , 37, 837-877.
12.
Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., & Hayes, T.L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis . Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 268-279.
13.
Harvard Law Review Association. (1996). Statutory protection for gays and lesbians in private employment. Harvard Law Review, 109, 1625-1647.
14.
Hornsby, E.E. (2005). Marriage, domestic partnership, and employment benefits: What does equality mean in public higher education? Unpublished manuscript, The Ohio State University, Columbus.
15.
Hornsby, E.E. (2006). Using policy to drive organizational change. In R. J. Hill (Ed.), Challenging homophobia and heterosexism: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues in organizational settings (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education No. 112, pp. 73-83). New York: John Wiley.
16.
Human Rights Campaign. (2007). The state of the workplace for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans, 2006-2007. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from www.hrc.org
17.
Human Rights Campaign. (2008a). Parenting laws. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from www.hrc.org
18.
Human Rights Campaign. (2008b). Statewide employment laws and policies. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from www.hrc.org
19.
Human Rights Campaign. (2008c). Statewide marriage prohibitions. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from www.hrc.org
20.
Indiana University. (2007). Plan booklets. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/benefits/plan_booklets.html
21.
Johnsrud, L.K. (2002). Measuring the quality of faculty and administrative work-life: Implications for college and university campuses. Research in Higher Education, 43, 379-395.
22.
Jones, D. (2006). State shortfalls projected throughout the decade: Higher ed budgets likely to feel continued squeeze. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.highereducation.org/
23.
Kahn, W.A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692-724.
24.
Kanter, R. (1977). Work and family in the United States: A critical review and agenda for research and policy. New York: Russell Sage.
25.
Konrad, A.M., & Mangel, R. (2000). The impact of work-life programs on firm productivity . Strategic Management Journal, 21, 1225-1237.
26.
Lasher, W.F., & Greene, D.L. (2001). College and university budgeting: What do we know? What do we need to know? In B. Paulsen & J. C. Smart (Eds.), The finance of higher education: Theory, research, policy, and practice. New York: Agathon.
27.
Lewis, S. (1997). "Family friendly" employment policies: A route to changing organizational culture or playing about at the margins? Gender , Work and Organization, 4, 13-23.
28.
Lewis, S. (2001). Restructuring workplace cultures: The ultimate work-family challenge? Women in Management Review, 16, 21-29.
29.
Littleton, C.A. (1991). Does it still make sense to talk about "women "? UCLA Women's Law Journal, 1, 15-52.
30.
Lobel, S.A. (1999). Impacts of diversity and work-life initiatives in organizations. In G. N. Powell (Ed.), Handbook of gender and work. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
31.
Michigan State University. (2007). Faculty and academic staff: Leave programs. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.hr.msu.edu/HRsite/TimeOffLeave/Leave/Faculty/
32.
Minnesota Human Rights Act. (2005). Minn. Stat. § 363A.02 (LexisNexis 2005).
33.
Morris, M. L., & Madsen, S. R. (Eds.). (2007). Advancing work-life integration in individuals, organizations, and communities. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9, 487-506.
34.
Ohio State University. (2007). Benefits for same-sex domestic partners. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://hr.osu.edu/benefits/dompa-ss.htm
35.
Pennsylvania State University. (2007). Guideline 11 family and medical leave and policy HR37 grant-in-aid for dependents of faculty, staff, and retirees. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.ohr.psu.edu/worklife/Policies.cfm
36.
Perry-Jenkins, M., Repetti, R., & Crouter, A. (2000). Work and family in the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 981-998.
37.
Perry-Smith, J.E., & Blum, T.C. (2000). Work-family human resource bundles and perceived organizational performance. Academy of Management Journal , 43, 1107-1117.
Purdue University. (2007). Purdue University Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy (IV.10.1) and leave for faculty, continuing lecturers, and administrative, professional, clerical, and service staff (IV.10.2). Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.purdue.edu/policies/
41.
Raeburn, N.C. (2004). Changing corporate America from inside out: Lesbian and gay workplace rights. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.
42.
Rapoport, R., Lotte, B., Fletcher, J.K., & Pruitt, B.H. (2002). Beyond work-family balance: Advancing gender equity and workplace performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
43.
Rocco, T.S., & Gallagher, S.J. (2006). Straight privilege and moral/izing: Issues in career development, In R.J. Hill (Ed.), Challenging homophobia and heterosexism: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues in organizational settings (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education No. 112, pp. 29-39) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
44.
Sloan Work and Family Research Network. (n.d.). Definition(s) of work-life. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/glossary_entry.php?term=Work-Life,%20Definition(s)%20of&area=All
45.
State Higher Education Executive Officers. ( 2007). State higher education finance FY06. Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.sheeo.org/Finance/shefhome.htm
46.
Stroh, L.K. (2005). Forward. In E. E. Kossek & S. J. Lambert (Eds.), Work and life integration: Organizational, cultural, and individual perspectives (pp. xvii-xviii). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
47.
United States Department of Labor. (2007). Employer costs for employee compensation. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf
48.
University of Iowa. (2007). Family Medical Leave Act. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/administration/policies_a_z.html
49.
University of Michigan. (2008). SSDP Taxes and Imputed Income. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/events/ssdp/dpc.htm
50.
University of Wisconsin. (2007). Domestic partner benefits. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/bng-domestic-partner-benefits-uw1107.pdf
51.
Walpole, M. (1998, April). National rankings: Ramifications for academic units. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA. Retrieved September 27, 2008, from http://eric.ed.gov/ (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED427018)
52.
White, L.K., & Rogers, S.J. (2000). Economic circumstances and family outcomes: A review of the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 1035-1051.
