Here's another update for the human resources policy manual: Same-sex couples will henceforth enjoy the same job protections as heterosexual couples.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it amended the Family and Medical Leave Act so that "spouse" now includes a same-sex partner. Previously, the definition didn't apply to same-sex couples who resided in a state that does not recognize such unions.

Now, the definition applies in all 50 states and means that family medical leave must be extended to same-sex partners.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.