standards inthe workplace

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Friday October 24 6:41 AM EDT 

EDS Offers Benefits to Gay Employees' Partners

PLANO, Texas (Reuters) - Electronic Data Systems Corp., which was for
many years seen as one of America's most conservative companies, has
decided to offer full health benefits to the domestic partners of its
gay employees.

The computer services firm expanded its benefits policy to prohibit
discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, in large part
because it wants to attract the best recruits in a competitive
industry.

"High-tech employees are very difficult to come by right now. We want
to be sure we can compete in the marketplace and offer something even
more," spokesman Nancy Voith said.

Billionaire businessman Ross Perot founded EDS in 1962 and instituted
a strict dress code. He also told male employees to keep their hair
cut short and not grow beards.

The restrictions have eased steadily since Perot left the company in
1986. Earlier this year, women were allowed to wear long pants instead
of skirts or dresses.

Voith said the health and dental benefits will be available to the
domestic partners of EDS' gay employees starting Jan. 1.

A growing number of U.S. companies have begun offering such benefits,
especially in the technology and entertainment industries. Perot
Systems Corp., the company Perot set up when he left EDS, itself
adopted the policy last year.

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This is interesting both in terms of what it used to be, and how it
has been changed, and especially why.  :-(

-- 
--------  "And there came a writing to him from Elijah"  [2Ch 21:12]  --------
Robert Jay Brown III rj@eli.elilabs.com  http://www.elilabs.com 1 847 705-0424
Elijah Laboratories Inc.;  37 South Greenwood Avenue;  Palatine, IL 60067-6328
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