New York Continues to Make Progress on LGBT Employment Equality

Recent reports seem to indicate that the state of New York is making great strides toward achieving equality in the world of employment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. A couple of recent announcements highlighted this progress:

• The state announced in mid-December that it would now be illegal for transgender people to be denied coverage for any type of medical procedure.
• Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a major employer in Upstate New York, was among 366 different businesses across the United States to receive a perfect 100 out of 100 on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index prepared by the Human Rights Campaign, illustrating its commitment to providing equal opportunity for LGBT employees.

On a national level, there were more perfect scores in the Corporate Equality Index than ever before in the history of the report, showing that there is a nationwide movement toward greater acceptance and equality for LGBT people.

In the case of Excellus, the company has placed a great emphasis on enforcing its quality policy, including issues of equal pay and benefits, training sessions, various diversity groups and the support of local LGBT events throughout the community. The company believes that this greater focus on acceptance and equality will allow all employees to feel like they can be comfortable by simply being themselves in the workplace.

While there are still steps that companies throughout New York can take to continue to promote equality, the people from the Human Rights Campaign went on record as being impressed with the progress made by the state in 2014, and are encouraged for the future.

However, if you are aware of companies that are still discriminating against employees or potential job candidates based on their sexual orientation, you are encouraged to take legal action. Seek the assistance of the dedicated New York lawyers with the Derek T. Smith Law Group, PLLC.