Westpac, Australia’s second-largest bank and one of the largest employers in the nation, has agreed to recognise same-sex marriage.
Joining the list of pro-gay marriage employers maintained by lobby group Australian Marriage Equality (AME), the bank said it would recognise same-sex marriages of its employees, effective immediately.
Heather Miles, Westpac’s General Manager of Enterprise, People and Performance Solutions, said in a media statement: “The Westpac Group treats all of its employees equally and we are pleased to join the list of Australian employees that recognise employees in same-sex marriages.”
Miles said Westpac’s decision would also apply to employees of St George Bank, which merged with Westpac last year.
The announcement sees Westpac join companies such as the Commonwealth Bank, Qantas and Telstra in recognising the marriages of their staff regardless of the gender of those involved.
The companies have agreed to extend the same partner benefits and entitlements to all employees and do not discriminate against those in same-sex relationships.
AME spokesperson, Alex Greenwich, congratulated Westpac on its decision and called on the Federal Government to extend marriage equality to its employees.
“Community support for same-sex marriage is ever growing. Diverse and socially responsible organisations like Westpac know the importance of adapting their employee policies to reflect this,” he said.
“We call on Prime Minister Rudd to also extend to government employees in same-sex marriages the kind of recognition that is now enjoyed by the employees of some of the nation's largest corporations.”
The Federal Government remains opposed to same-sex marriage, upholding the same-sex marriage ban instituted by the Howard Government in 2004.
