Bryan Dickenson of Garland, Texas can finally get time off from his company, AT&T Inc., so that he can take care of his longtime domestic partner Bill Sugg, who recently suffered from a debilitating stroke. However, the gay employee had to go through an uphill battle to get extended time off from work.
Most employees are covered through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) so they can take up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to take care of a sick family member, according to FindLaw.
Yet, The Dallas Voice reports that gays and lesbians are not covered under FMLA. AT&T initially told Dallas Voice that the company doesn't grant family leave to same-sex partners in states where it isn't required by law, which includes the state of Texas.
After much anger from gay rights activists, AT&T agreed to change their policy. The vice president of AT&T reportedly contacted Rob Wiley, the Texas family attorney representing Mr. Dickenson and Mr. Sugg, saying that the company will be enacting a new policy that grants same-sex partners FMLA leave as of February 1.
AT&T spokesperson Walt Sharp said in a company statement, "We have taken steps to ensure that benefits like FMLA are extended to employees with registered domestic partners for the purpose of caring for the partner, regardless of the state in which the employee resides. AT&T has a long history of inclusiveness and we embrace and celebrate diversity of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation in our workforce."
Related Resources:
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Firing Employees and the Family Medical Leave Act (FindLaw Free Enterprise blog)
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Texas family attorney directory (FindLaw)
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