On June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a final ruling, Bockstock v. Clayton, related to Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, which bans employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex, in that it also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
The Supreme Court’s decision clarifies and enforces that an employer that discriminates or takes adverse action against any employee due to their sexual orientation would be violating Title VII and the affected employee could take legal action.
It is likely that the decision will face further legal challenges, however, employers should begin to review their employment policies and work with legal counsel to ensure compliance with the ruling.
Contact your Cowden representative for more information on this or other compliance issues.