Partner Benefits for TN companies? Yes, you can!

I got a call today from a company that wanted to explore providing partner benefits (health insurance) for partners of its employees. They had heard that they couldn't do so from their insurance broker. Interestingly I had heard something similar from the leader of a business organization. He was under the impression that companies can't provide partner benefits in Tennessee unless they are self-insured.

I called Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee to find out more. They offer insurance products with partner benefits if a company or organization has 26 or more employees. That's great news.

The wrong information may be all that is holding your employer back from providing this important benefit for your family.

Obviously partner benefits are not the same as marriage and all the obligations and benefits that come with it. Justice demands marriage equality, but until that day comes, partner benefits offer a way to protect those we love.

-Chris Sanders

Reactions to the Noose

Yolanda Putnam gives us a sample of some of the community reactions to the second noose found a Blue Cross Blue Shield building site in Chattanooga.

...the city’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is launching a marketing campaign to advertise its discrimination hot line. “This type of demonstration will not be tolerated,” said Multicultural Affairs board member Norma Hansen at the group’s monthly meeting Wednesday.

But the office is doing even more:

The group also is establishing a citywide policy for responding to hate crimes, and it has been conducting events such as the Sweet Diversity neighborhood meetings that celebrate ethnic differences. “If you plant hatred, those weeds will attempt to drown out the good seeds,” Ms. Hansen said. “We want to plant seeds of harmony and respect throughout the community.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield has also spoken out in a memo to employees:

“Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee will not stand for this behavior,” wrote President and CEO Vicky Gregg in an e-mail to employees this week. “BCBST has a proud history of diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or faith.”

These responses are extremely positive. They indicate that hate crimes must be taken seriously by the entire community. It is also encouraging that government and a major corporation are taking the lead. Some might consider a couple of nooses a joke, but they should be construed as a threat of violence based on bias.

Another noose found at Blue Cross Blue Shield building site

Noose number 2 has been found by construction workers at a Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chattanooga. The FBI continues to investigate. The construction company is attempting to deal with the situation.

Skanska, the company in charge of the construction project, is offering diversity and sensitivity training. So far, said John Reyhan, general manager for the project, morale has not been affected.

“We’ve added a tremendous amount of security at the site,” Mr. Reyhan said. “And at our jobwide meeting every morning we are encouraging anyone to come forward with any reports of intimidation.”

No one is speculating about the motive. I wondered in my last post about the subject whether the crew were being targeted. We don't have any information about the racial and ethnic makeup of the workers. It's interesting that the construction company is offering sensitivity training. Does that mean that they're not ruling out the possibility that someone on the crew is involved?