Tag: same-sex partner benefits

Employers need to be ready for end of Oregon’s same-sex marriage ban

The end of Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage means employers need to take a look at their benefits policies and what laws require in terms of married couples. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ruled on May 19 that the ban on same-sex marriage, which was added to the state constitution after voters passed Measure 36 […]

Illinois same-sex marriage law will spawn employment issues

by Steven L. Brenneman On November 5, both houses of the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages. Governor Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill into law. If he does, it will take effect in June 2014. The new law will affect Illinois employers in several ways. Regarding employee benefits, employers […]

Rhode Island, federal law changes affect how employers treat same-sex married couples

by Matthew H. Parker A series of amendments to Rhode Island law and the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision in United States v. Windsor have changed how most Rhode Island employers must treat same-sex married couples. Under the amendments, which go into effect on August 1, anyone who is eligible to marry in Rhode […]

Delaware same-sex marriage changes take effect July 1

The amendment to the Delaware Domestic Relations Act legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect July 1. Under the law, the same rights, benefits, protections, and legal responsibilities apply to married same-sex couples and married opposite-sex couples. In 2012, Delaware’s Civil Union Equality Act (CUEA) established that civil unions are to be treated as marriages under […]

Colorado civil union law takes effect May 1

by Rebecca Hudson Colorado’s new civil union law goes into effect May 1, meaning Colorado joins eight other states that permit civil unions or have similar laws that recognize them. Nine other states and Washington, D.C., allow same-sex marriage. Under the Colorado Civil Union Act, the state will recognize civil unions entered into by same-sex […]

Maryland same-sex marriage law goes into effect January 1

by Kevin C. McCormick Maryland’s new law allowing same-sex marriage takes effect January 1, 2013, meaning employers need to understand what changes are in store for the workplace. The General Assembly passed the law legalizing same-sex marriage that Governor Martin O’Malley signed on March 12, 2012. However, the new law was on hold until Maryland […]

Memorandum Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Partners of Executive Branch Employees

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama signed a federal memorandum requiring executive agencies to extend to same-sex partners the employment benefits equivalent to those granted to opposite-sex partners. The memorandum expands benefits previously provided to same-sex partners in an executive memorandum signed last October and is the latest in a handful of government moves to preserve […]

Obama Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Partners of Federal Employees

President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination June 17 at an Oval Office event. The memorandum addresses the benefits to which same-sex partners of federal employees may be entitled and is a result of internal reviews conducted by the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the secretary […]