Employers Must Allow Same Sex & Married Couples The Same Benefits

Colin Dingwall (Head of Civil Partnerships Team, Department for Trade & Industry) advised delegates at a Stonewall conference on ending sexual orientation discrimination at work that, in the context of the Civil Partnerships Act, employers must recognise same sex relationships “in the same way as marriage”.

With effect from 5th December 2005, the Civil Partnerships Act will allow same sex couples to make a formal declaration to one another, in a similar way to marriage.

Dingwall suggested that employers should ensure their forms ask people if they are married/civil partners, rather than having civil partnerships as a separate box which would force them to declare that they are in a same sex relationship, and therefore not heterosexual, as not everyone will want to be “out” at work.

Additional details can be found by clicking on the following links:

DTI Women and Equality Unit information on the Civil Partnerships Act

People Management report on Dingwall’s conference comments

Stonewall’s campaign for same sex rights

Stonewall summary of the issues relating to same sex relationships and pension scheme benefits