The U.S. Department of Labor on Aug. 9 issued a revised fact sheet to provide guidance on Family and Medical Leave Act protections for same-sex couples. The guidance follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and fundamentally changed how the federal government treats same-sex marriages.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which quoted an internal memorandum from Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, the extension of FMLA coverage is but one of many steps that the agency will take to properly implement the Windsor decision. On the same day, the Social Security Administration announced that it will now process and pay out spousal retirement claims for same-sex spouses.
