One in 10 companies offers the benefits, survey says. The homosexual community has led the fight to win these benefits, with support from some civil rights and social justice groups. Despite the controversy, about 10 percent of companies currently extend health care benefits to domestic partners, and another 2 percent plan to do so in the future, according to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management. The number of companies offering domestic partner benefits has been rising slowly but steadily at the rate of about 1 percent per year for the past four years, SHRM reports. Downsides include paperwork and tax tab.
Some couples decline to take the benefits because of the hassle involved in proving their status.
Then there's money. While employee benefits for married couples are tax-free, domestic partner benefits can be taxed. If you have questions about human resources and benefits, click here . The cost of the taxes makes it really financially unattractive. Here's an example.