By Jeff Green | Bloomberg
Indeed Inc., the online job-search company, has introduced a $10,000 relocation payment for transgender employees or those with transgender children, signaling a new front in the corporate pushback against state policies restricting the lives of LGBTQ people.
While Indeed introduced the program to its employees in July, until now the company has not discussed it publicly.
Shortly after Indeed announced the initiative, Sam Burger, a 30-year-old senior content creator at the company who uses the pronouns they and them, left their hometown of Austin, Texas, for Denver, Colorado, a place they felt would be friendlier to those seeking gender-affirming care. The Indeed payment has gone toward a relocation that, they estimated, has cost them $5,000 so far.
RELATED: California conservative groups promote anti-trans bills as state AG sues school district over anti-trans policy
“As soon as I found out that I was getting the money, it was very much like a weight lifted,” Burger said, recognizing that many transgender workers don’t have the same options.
Traditionally, companies only paid such costs when they required an employee to move for a new job. By asking employers for financial assistance when moving for personal reasons — avoiding such things as state-level LGBTQ laws and higher taxes — Burger and others like them are flexing their power in what has been a tight labor market, corporate relocation experts say. None of the experts contacted were aware of another company that was taking the initiative and offering to relocate transgender workers.
Indeed’s policy could make it a target of conservative groups, who continue pressuring companies to moderate their support for LGBTQ causes. Target Corp. and Bud Light beer both faced protests this year, first from conservatives upset with transgender marketing programs, and then from the LGBTQ community for backing off those commitments following sales losses.
Maeve DuVally, a…
Read the full article here