Boynton Beach to Consider Domestic Partnership Benefits

Boynton Beach, Florida (GayWebSource.com) At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, the Boynton Beach City Commission will soon address offering employees with domestic partners or same-sex spouses the same family benefits currently offered to municipal employees whose marriages are recognized by the state of Florida.

For more than two decades, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has been successful in its campaigns to encourage local public employers to offer equal benefits to employees with nontraditional families.

Earlier this month, the Council sent a comprehensive report on Workplace Equality to the Mayor and City Commissioners and asked them to “adopt policies providing City employees with domestic partners the same family benefits as are provided to employees with spouses, including medical insurance, dental insurance, COBRA and health insurance continuation coverage, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, family sick leave, bereavement leave, family-medical leave, the employee assistance plan and as any other family benefits offered by the City.”

The Council also met with Julie Oldbury, the City’s Director of Human Resources and Risk Management.  Prior to coming to work for Boynton Beach, she Ms. Oldbury directed the implementation of similar benefits for the City of Oakland Park.

“Despite recent court decisions in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, Florida still does not recognize same-sex marriages, ” said Rand Hoch,  President and Founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.  “Additionally, opposite-sex couples may remain unmarried to allow their children to receive child support from a prior marriage.  These families which should be accorded equal treatment and benefits by the City of Boynton Beach.”

According to U.S. Census data, more than 5,200 Boynton Beach residents identify themselves as unmarried partners living together.

“Boynton Beach is a progressive city whose elected officials should fully recognize diverse familial relationships,” said Allan Hendricks, an LGBT rights advocate who ran for City Council in the last election.  “One way to ensure that all residents are treated fairly is to provide all city employees identical family benefits.”

“Since Boynton Beach does not pay any portion of the insurance premium for employees’ dependents, these benefits will only require a minimal impact on the City’s budget,” said Hoch.

With open enrollment for employee health insurance just a few months away, time is of the essence.

The Council hopes that at next week’s city commission meeting, city leaders will take a pro-family stance by directing staff to determine how to implement these benefits.

As a result of the efforts of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, domestic partnership benefits are currently offered by the municipalities of  Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington and West Palm Beach, as well as by Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County School District, the Port of Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Health Care District, Palm Beach State College, Florida Atlantic University, the Children’s Services Council, Palm Tran, Seacoast Utility Authority,  the Solid Waste Authority and all five of Palm Beach County’s constitutional officers.

More than seventy-five public employers across Florida now provide domestic partnership benefits to their employees.

Media provided by GayWebSource.com – Gay Media and Press Network.