WeWork India extends medical benefits to partners of LGBTQ employees

Co-working major WeWork India, owned by realty firm Embassy Group, on Tuesday said it is extending the company's medical insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of its employees.

This step is a commitment by the company to acknowledge and celebrate diversity and inclusion among its employees through its people practices, WeWork India said in a statement.

WeWork, which has over 500 employees in India, is the first collaborative workspace provider in the country to offer health insurance cover to partners of all LGBTQ employees, the statement added.

"WeWork as a brand believes in leveraging the diversity of our people and is taking steps to celebrate the spirit of inclusion. Today we announce our insurance coverage policy to be LGBTQ friendly and all WeWork India employees, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation, will now be able to add partners as dependents and gain the same benefits," WeWork India Head of People Priti Shetty said.

She added that the partners providing health insurance benefits are Futurerisk and The Oriental Insurance Company.

"We have to respect each individual's diverse needs to foster a truly inclusive culture. The insurance coverage for our LGBTQ colleagues is a step in that direction," Shetty said.

Bengaluru-based Embassy Group, a major player in Indian commercial real estate sector, had partnered US-based WeWork in 2016 to enter into co-working business for the Indian market. As of February 2020, WeWork India has 34 locations across six cities and more than 40,000 memberships, including enterprises.