Compliance

The government's action was based upon violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act; similar actions against other sports teams might soon follow.

The IRS says same-sex couples can file joint tax returns, while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says same-sex spouses now have equal access to nursing homes via Medicare.

Keas said its survey of more than 100 HR professionals found that three-quarters of them had taken steps to meet the laws original Jan. 1 deadline, and another 58 percent were confident they would be fully compliant by then.

The foundation survey found that 35.6 percent of employers have reacted very positively while 41.5 percent reacted somewhat positively to the DOMA ruling. Less than one-quarter have reacted negatively.

The rules will require most government contractors to set a goal of having disabled workers make up at least 7 percent of their employees. The benchmark for veterans would be 8 percent.

Congress or the courts may still have more work to do before the VA can start providing federal benefits to married, same-sex couples.

Wal-Mart, America's single-biggest employer outside of the U.S. federal government, has announced that in 2014 it will begin offering health care benefits to employees' domestic partners.

The Seattle-based caffeine vendor, which employs 150,000 full-time workers worldwide and many thousands more in part-time positions, says it will not try to shift full-time workers to part-time status in order to avoid paying healthcare costs as required by the PPACA.