MANILA, Philippines–As part of the concluding celebration of Pride Month, Google will hold an online event called “Pride Conversations” to create a discussion and champion some of today’s inspiring members of the Filipino LGBTQ+ community.
“Google is committed to inclusion and this Pride month, we’re excited to share how we always support the LGBTQ+ community in a number of ways–from sustaining a diverse workplace culture to providing grants, to hosting events around the world to continue the discussion on equality,” said Mervin Wenke, Communications and PR Head for Google Philippines. “We are glad to further show this commitment through our products like Google Maps which is helping enable a virtual Pride March initiative this year.”
A home to LGBTQ+ employees
Google fosters a diverse and inclusive culture where LGBTQ+ employees are respected, celebrated, and empowered. The company ensures that they enjoy the same opportunity to shine, be heard, and succeed in the organization just as much as any other employee. Below are just some of the benefits for Google’s LGBTQ+ employees around the world including the Philippines:
- Same-sex health benefits: Google is committed to and provides same-sex health coverage for Googlers and their partners.
- Employee assistance program: Google offers free emotional wellbeing support, 24/7, 365 days for Googlers and their dependents, as well as access to free expert information on legal, financial, and other topics. These services are confidential.
- Parental leave:
- A non-birth parent has at least 12 weeks of paid parental leave to spend with a new child (any parent who has a child born or adopted).
- A ramp-back policy to help a non-birth parent transition back to work after a long leave is available.
Googlers also have the freedom of establishing their preferred pronouns (he, she, xe, they) so colleagues will know how to best address an LGBTQ+ employee in the workplace to show inclusion and respect. This demonstrates that LGBTQ+ employees are important and are always included in the discussion,” shares Melai Lopez, a trans woman and a Program Manager at Google Philippines.
Melai adds, “Google encourages us to form and participate in employee resource groups like Pride@Google.
The “Pride Conversations” live event is part of Google’s initiatives for Pride Month, championing LGBTQ+ personalities whose stories serve as an inspiration for the community. Tune in on June 30, 2020 at 5:00 PM (Ph time) at Google Philippines YouTube channel.
About Google
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome, and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc.
