Charlotte may extend benefits to Gay Employees

[monsoon]

[Guest donaltopablo]

Good news! I hope they approve it and extend these benefits to all domestic partners. In fact, I wish more companies and governments offered domestic partner benefits. I think in the long run this benefits not only gay and lesian couples, but heterosexual couples as well.

[uptownliving]

The City Concil is majority Democrat

[49er]

so would the benefits go to legally joined couples or just anyone that person is dating at the time. It could open up a lot of loopholes in the system if not documented correctly.

[monsoon]

[uptownliving]

Yes...most corporations have had these benefits setup for years, some even decades..so I'm sure Charlotte could just copy what they do as it seems to work for them.

[JunktionFET]

Argh, I wish I had seen that debate on TV!! I love it when the council and the mayor get their panties all wadded up! I bet it woke up some people in that room!

[49er]

I guess the plus for straight couples would be that if I have a live-in girlfriend, it could be considered a domestic partnership and she would get benefits even if we arent married? Anyway, if most companies manage it Im sure the city can too.

[monsoon]

[Guest donaltopablo]

Where I work, male/female couples are specifically excluded since they can be legally married under NC State law. I believe that most of these arrangements have the same provision. Thus, your girlfriend would not be covered.

Well that sucks. They either need to change the law about gay marriages and allow them, or cover domestic benefits too (or both). Let's all get some love here, no need to leave out one group or another.

[monsoon]

[Guest donaltopablo]

But this exclusion does not extend to gay partners thus, any gay or lesbian who has the ability to take advantage of such a plan, gets hit with a pretty significant tax bill. Since this income gets hit at the highest rate in your tax bracket, it ususally ends up to around $100-$200 additional each month in taxes.

It is still a benefit particulary if the partner can't get insurance by other means, but it is really unfair.

Is it specifically worded to not include gay couples or not married couples?

[monsoon]

[BrandonTO416]

Maybe Charlotte's city council can be smarter about it then Nashville's Metro Council. The gay rights bill here started out as a bill to require all industry - public or private.

Then it was cut to just city employees.

Then it failed by one tie-breaker vote on the third reading.

[uptownliving]

Have you hugged your Gay today?

[monsoon]

Almost 2 years after this thread was started, Charlotte has yet to do this, but the County did vote last night to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy. This may open the way to domestic partner benefits that several of Charlotte's large employers already provide. Its good to see the County come out of the dark ages.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/11672757.htm