Scheduling
Time & Attendance
Forecasting
Employee App
Payroll Integrations
Communications
Archive
By Staff Report
Nov. 23, 2009
New York’s highest court has upheld the state’s recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states.
The New York Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Thursday, November 20, in two cases, Margaret Godfrey v. Andrew J. Spano and Kenneth J. Lewis v. New York State Department of Civil Service, in upholding decisions by the appellate division of the state Supreme Court.
Godfrey challenged a 2006 executive order issued by Spano, Westchester County’s executive, to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Lewis challenged the New York State Civil Service Commission’s and its commissioner’s recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.
In both cases, the New York Court of Appeals ruled against the plaintiffs’ contentions that same-sex marriages should not be recognized because they cost the taxpayers money.
Referring to Godfrey, the court decision noted that Westchester County “already insured same-sex domestic partners and dependents of county employees before the executive order was issued.” The plaintiff’s claim “failed to allege an unlawful expenditure of taxpayer funds,” it said.
In Lewis, the court also concluded that the Civil Service Commission president has “broad discretion to define who will qualify for coverage” based on legislative history.
The opinion also urged the New York Legislature to “address this controversy.”
Filed by Judy Greenwald of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
Stay informed and connected. Get human resources news and HR features via Workforce Management’s Twitter feed or RSS feeds for mobile devices and news readers.
Come see what we’re building in the world of predictive employee scheduling, superior labor insights and next-gen employee apps. We’re on a mission to automate workforce management for hourly employees and bring productivity, optimization and engagement to the frontline.
Staffing Management
Managing employee time-off requests: A guide for business ownersSummary Vacation, sick time, PTO banks, and unpaid leave are only a few forms of employee time off — Mo...
Technology
Labor analytics: A how-to guide for company leadershipMake sure to start small, clean your data, use data from a variety of sources and use desired business ...
data analytics, employee data, HR Tech, people analytics, talent management
Technology
Why tattleware isn’t the solution for underperforming teamsIf your employees can take their smartphones out of their pockets to circumvent your efforts, how can y...
employee monitoring, HR technology, tattleware