How Will The Ca Supreme Court Decision Impact Workplace Policies?
No matter how the Supreme Court decides the gay marriage case on Tuesday, May 26, the decision will spark controversy and debate about the pros and cons of the legalization of gay marriage. However, setting aside the emotional aspects of this controversy, employers should focus on the implications of existing law when dealing with same-sex and other nontraditional relationships in fashioning workplace policies and complying with applicable California law. Even without the legalization of gay marriage, for the past ten years California law has recognized the status of domestic partnerships. Section 297.5 of the Family Code states: “Registered domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, whether they derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spou
