Domestic Partnerships
In February of 2010 with our help the Montgomery County Council passed the "Equal Benefits Bill," a county ordinance requiring contractors who do business with the county to offer domestic partner benefits.
All across the country, gay and lesbian employees face discrimination in workplace benefits because they are not unable to obtain a civil marriage license. Receiving equal pay for equal work remains an important aspect to achieving full equality for LGBT Marylanders.
Did you know:
Because same-sex couples are not recognized as family, they are not covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act to take unpaid leave to care for their sick partner.
While the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1995 (COBRA) requires most employers to offer employees the opportunity to pay for continued health coverage on their own in the event that their coverage ends due to divorce or job termination, COBRA does not require an employer to extend those rights to domestic partners.
Many individuals cannot obtain health insurance for their partner through their employer, even though health insurance is in many cases offered to the spouses of employees.
Even when health insurance benefits are offered to domestic partners, the employee taking advantage of these benefits is taxed on the benefits by both the state and federal governments.
Workplace benefits, according to some studies, can comprise as much as 40 percent of overall compensation for employment.
Consider the scope of benefits that employers may offer:
- health insurance
- dental insurance
- vision insurance
- coverage for dependents
- COBRA-like coverage
- bereavement leave
- Family and Medical-like leave
- life insurance
- relocation or travel assistance
- beneficiary designation on 401(k)
Businesses across the country are realizing now more than ever that equal work deserves equal pay. Domestic partner benefits are an important step toward equal pay for equal work. Studies have shown that domestic partner benefits programs improve employees' productivity and retention rate by alleviating personal stress that may keep workers from fully focusing on work, and by providing an inexpensive enhancement to an overall compensation package.
A 2002 study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that domestic partner benefits ranked among the top three recruiting tools that corporate recruiters used to attract talent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that employers with such policies enjoy a heightened reputation for respecting diversity. Without domestic partner benefits, a significant portion of overall employee compensation is unattainable for gay and lesbian workers.
Quick Facts
Today, the number of colleges, governments and private corporations that offer domestic partner, or DP, benefits stands at more than 5,800, compared to only slightly more than 100 in 1995, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign.
- Two-hundred fifty three (253) Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits to their employees,
- Two-hundred one (201) city and county governments across the country offer domestic partner benefits.
- Seventeen states – Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – offer health insurance benefits to the partners of state employees, as does the District of Columbia.
Domestic Partner Benefits in Maryland
Several Maryland-based Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits, including Lockheed Martin, Allegheny Energy, Host Marriott, and Marriott International.
More than 40 other companies in Maryland offer domestic partner benefits including: Sodhexo, Allfirst Financial, Goodwill Industries Intl., Northrup Grumman and Gazette Newspapers.
As of July 1, 2009, domestic partners of Maryland state employees are eligible for domestic partner benefits. Other Maryland jurisdictions that offer domestic partner benefits include Montgomery County, Howard County and the cities of Baltimore, College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Ranier, and Takoma Park. The school systems of Baltimore County and Prince George's County also offer domestic partner benefits.
To learn more about GLBT workplace issues, visit HRC's WorkNet at www.hrc.org/worknet.
Join us for a special event!
Lessons from the 2012 State Victories for Marriage Equality
Alliance for Justice is co-sponsoring an event with Human Rights Campaign to explore what activists, nonprofits, and funders can learn from last year's successful state campaigns in support of marriage equality. Panelists will discuss how they built coalitions, brought in new allies, and developed successful communication techniques and messages.
Panelists will also highlight key decisions that propelled their campaigns to victory and plans to leverage the relationships they’ve built with supporters and legislators moving forward.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
4:30 p.m.
A networking cocktail reception will follow
Human Rights Campaign
1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
RSVP at bit.ly/makingchangehappen
Speakers:
Marissa Brown, Alliance for Justice
Richard Carlbom, Minnesotans United for Marriage
Carrie Evans, Marylanders for Marriage Equality
Marty Rouse, Human Rights Campaign
Betsy Smith, Mainers United for Marriage
Tony Wagner, Human Rights Campaign & Washington United for Marriage
 |
 |
First Unitarian Church of Baltimore and Free State Legal Project present:
From Stonewall toSecuring Marriage Rights:
What Does It Mean for Us?
Exploring the Legal Implications of Marriage for Gay Couples
A comprehensive overview of legal marriage in the State of Maryland for gay couples. Whether you are already married or just considering, esteemed attorneys Susan Francis and Susan Silber will walk you through everything you need to know before and after you walk down that aisle. Beyond romance, learn what those 1000+ contracts and responsibilities actually mean!
Topics to be discussed include:
DOMA– What is DOMA & Challenges to DOMA; Federal protections outside of DOMA; Considerations when not to marry – (Medicaid, other public benefits, immigration, continuation of prior spousal benefits).
MD Law Overview – 1000+ laws. How protected under MD law? What are protections, benefits, obligations? What is the effect of the federal government not recognizing your marriage? What are the consequences of other states not recognizing your marriage? Strategies to protect your family.
Marriage – Family Law Issues. License – how to marry, what if married elsewhere, what if have a civil union; Pre-nuptial agreements = clarify marital v. nonmarital property, simplify divorce process, collaborative or mediation dispute resolution; Domestic Partnership affidavit– specific benefits.
Protecting our Families. Wills, trusts, health care directive, POA, DP Affidavits, DP or PreNup Agreements
Protecting our Children. Second parent adoption, birth certificate with marriage (full faith & credit issues), problems with de facto/third party parent, donors, surrogacy.
Divorce Issues. Length of marriage, maintaining ties & friendships, DOMA (pension, tax, alimony); dissolution of civil unions/domestic partnerships.
OtherMD Marital Issues. Insurance; Employment – public & private; FMLA; Real Property – Tenants by entirety; Public benefits – Medicaid; Name changes; Taxes – joint – imputed state income; estate; inheritance; alimony & QDROs; transfers between spouses; mortgage interest; tax credit programs; Military & veteran benefits.
Saturday, June 8, 2013, 9am - noon
Enoch Pratt Parish Hall, 514 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
The seminar is free and open to the public. However, space is limited, so please respond to office@firstunitarian.net, or call 410-685-2330 to reserve your seat. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance via email.
About the presenters:
Susan Francis is the Foreclosure Prevention Project Manager at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). She formerly was an Associate at Silber, Perlman, Sigman and Tilev; and theFamily Law Research Specialist at the Administrative Office of the Courts, Department of Family Administration. She graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2011. She was a member of Law Review and the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society for Leadership. She has interned at the Public Justice Center, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Susan has a B.S. and M.S. in Journalism from Ohio University. She served as Development and Communications Director for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing for twelve years and was most recently the Development Director forEquality Maryland. She serves on the Board of Directors of Free State LegalProject and the Public Justice Center. She has co-written with Ms. Silber several articles on gay marriage for the Washington Blade, the Maryland Domestic Law Reporter, and the Equality Maryland marriage FAQs on their webpage, and has conducted various workshops on the intersection of family law and LGBT families. Susan and her wife, Sandy, were married in Ontario, Canada in 2004. susanfrancis@gmail.com
Susan Silber has dedicated her legal career of over 30 years to advancing the rights of all families, including a focus on same-sex families. Susan founded the law firm of Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, PA, which is a full service, community-based law firm located in Takoma Park, Maryland. She is an experienced attorney in family, employment, civil rights, and municipal law, and has served as the City Attorney for Takoma Park for 30 years.
In addition to drafting, counseling, negotiation, and litigation, Susan is an experienced mediator and collaborative attorney. She has assisted hundreds of people incooperatively forming their families (e.g., second parent adoptions, livingtogether contracts, powers of attorney, medical directives, and parenting agreements). Sue has been featured on national television and is a frequent guest speaker. She has spoken extensively on Lesbian and Gay parenting issues, including custody, adoption, alternative fertilization, surrogacy, and documents helpful in protecting unmarried and same-sex families. Susan was named a Super Lawyer by her peers in Super Lawyers Magazine for both Maryland and Washington, DC.
Susan is a member of the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, currently serves on the board of Equality Maryland and the Divorce Roundtable, and is a past president of the LGBT Bar Association of Maryland. She was recently honored for her distinguished service by COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere), GAYLAW (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,Transgender Attorneys of Washington, DC), and her synagogue Bet Mishpachah.Susan’s children have two moms. Her family has been featured in three books and was interviewed by Barbara Walters for ABC’s “20/20”. silber@sp-law.com
Please join us the second sunday of every month for our Board Meeting.
Contact Vanessa, vanessa@equalitymaryland.org, for more information.
