The Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v Hodges that the 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, and to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state. This ruling raises new questions about providing benefits to individuals who have a same-sex spouse, as well as preventing discrimination based on the sex of an individual's spouse.

This webinar will:

• Explain the impact of Obergefell on group benefit plans
• Discuss the difference regarding states that did not previously recognize same-sex marriage and those that did
• Differentiate between ERISA obligations and obligations under anti-discrimination regulations
• Provide information on the difference between domestic partners and spouses
• Discuss best practices for administering enrollment for individuals with same-sex spouses now, and in the future
• Provide best practices for employers regarding same-sex harassment prevention

This 90-minute basic webinar will help employers understand the impact of the decision in Obergefell on employee benefits and other employment issues. Eligible for 1.5 HRCI credit hours for participation.

PRESENTER

Joseph J. Lazzarotti is a Shareholder in the Morristown, New Jersey, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He founded and currently helps to lead the firm's Privacy, e-Communication and Data Security Practice, edits the firm's Privacy Blog, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He also counsels companies on compliance, fiduciary, taxation, and administrative matters with respect to health and welfare plans, and is a member of the firm's Health Care Reform Team.

Mr. Lazzarotti speaks and writes regularly on current employee benefits and data privacy and security topics, and his work has been published in leading employment and business journals.